Industry Perspectives on Water Pollution Management in a Fast Developing Megacity: Evidence from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Industry representatives are key stakeholders in addressing pollution in the rivers surrounding Dhaka, Bangladesh, a fast growing megacity. Drawing on insights from political-ecology and framing water management as a sociotechnical system, we present an analysis of in-depth interviews conducted with representatives from key polluting industries. Three main thematic areas resulting from these interviews relate to the management of effluent treatment plants, the need for enhanced education, both technical and moral, and sociocultural factors that shape attitudes toward water management. In these areas, industrial representatives show multiple ways and realms in which more sustainable water governance in Dhaka may be enacted.