Bangladesh among global bottom three in environmental protection
Bangladesh has ranked near the bottom of a global index on environmental protection, holding the 175th position out of 177 countries. The index evaluates nations based on their environmental protection initiatives and their overall effectiveness.
The US government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released the 'Environmental Performance Index (EPI)' report. Researchers from Columbia University and Yale University prepared the index with support from the McCall MacBain Foundation in the US.
Bangladesh scored just 23.46 in the index. This indicates that the country has achieved less than a quarter (25 per cent) of the ideal preparation and initiatives required for environmental protection.
The index evaluates countries across three major areas: environmental health, ecosystem vitality, and climate change. Under these categories, researchers used 47 indicators, including air quality, safe drinking water and sanitation, waste management, biodiversity and habitat conservation, fisheries, and greenhouse gas emission reduction.
Bangladesh also lags far behind in South Asia. Out of the eight countries in this region, only neighbouring India ranks lower. Every other South Asian country has performed better than Bangladesh in protecting the environment.
Experts attribute the decline to intense economic competition, air pollution, unplanned urbanisation, and poor plastic waste management in South Asia. They also point out that weak enforcement of environmental laws has significantly deteriorated Bangladesh's position.
Bhutan leads in South Asia, India and Bangladesh at bottom
Among South Asian nations, Bhutan performed the best, ranking 52nd globally with a score of 47.74. Sri Lanka follows in the 94th position.
Among other regional countries, Nepal ranks 128th, Afghanistan 135th, Pakistan 157th, and the Maldives 171st.
India sits at the bottom of the regional list, ranking 176th globally with a score of 22.46.
The best and worst performers globally
According to the EPI 2026, European countries dominate the top 10 list. Estonia ranks first with a score of 74.79, followed by Luxembourg in second (74.24) and the UK in third (71.51). The remaining top 10 countries are Finland (4th), the Netherlands (5th), Germany (6th), France (7th), Norway (8th), Sweden (9th), and Austria (10th).
On the other hand, the bottom five countries globally are Laos (177th), India (176th), Bangladesh (175th), Mali (174th), and Vietnam (173rd). Meanwhile, the US ranks 27th with a score of 58.54, while China ranks 129th with a score of 33.88.
Lacks in environmental planning
Speaking to Prothom Alo on the index, Sharif Jamil, member-secretary of the environmental platform 'Dharitri Rakshay Amra (DHORA)' and former general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), said the global assessment is highly accurate.
"Our water, air, and soil are heavily polluted now. Not a single river in the country is free from pollution. People are paying a heavy price for long-term unplanned and unchecked industrialisation," he said.
He noted that while the government makes commitments to protect the environment, there is little reflection of those on the ground.
"There is a severe lack of the long-term, integrated, and scientific planning required for environmental protection. Sometimes the government takes ad-hoc decisions that complicate matters further. For example, instead of recovering encroached canals, they simply dredge them, turning them into isolated ponds," Sharif Jamil observed.
He added that a segment of policymakers wrongly views environmental conservation and industrialisation as conflicting goals.
"We must change this mindset. It is crucial to immediately enforce strict legal measures and scientific planning. Otherwise, Bangladesh cannot escape this embarrassing position on the global index," he warned.