Introduction
Natural resources are most important for a country. There are many countries which directly depend on natural resources. Bangladesh is a developing country. Area of Bangladesh is small. We have also some natural resources. Some are renewable and some are non‐renewable.
Classification of natural resources of Bangladesh
In the context of Bangladesh the natural resources are classified into two types. Followings are the categories of natural resources of Bangladesh.
• Renewable Natural Resources are Water, Fish, Forested and
• Nonrenewable Mineral Natural Resources are Gas & Oil, Coal, Rock, and Sand etc.
Renewable Natural Resources
Water Resources:
Water is the available renewable natural resources of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is endowed with plenty of surface and ground water resources. Surface water inflows of the country vary from a maximum of 140,000 m3/s in August to a minimum of about 7,000 m3/s in February. Several resources of water are-
River
Bangladesh is the country of rivers. Main rivers in Bangladesh are- Padma,Meghna, Shurma, Brahmaputra, Jomuna, Kapotaksha, Matamuhuri etc.
Bay of Bengal
Another surface water source of Bangladesh is Bay of Bengal, a northern extended arm of the INDIAN OCEAN. The Bay occupies an area of about 2.2 million sq km and the average depth is 2,600m with a maximum depth of 5,258m. Bangladesh is situated at the head of the Bay of Bengal.
Fisheries resources:
Bangladesh possesses a wide range of fishes, prawns, lobsters and other crustaceans, mollusks, turtles and other fishery resources inhabiting its extensive marine and inland open waters. The total fish production of Bangladesh was estimated at 11, 72,800 m tons in 1995. Inland open water fisheries contributed 73 percent of the total fish production. In 1987, Bangladesh became third in world inland fish and shrimp production after China and India. Fisheries account for 4.7 percent of GDP, 9.1 percent of the export earnings, 6 percent of the supply of protein and about 80 percent of the animal protein intake of its population.
Forest Resources:
Forest is another renewable natural resources of Bangladesh. 16% of total land is forest-area of Bangladesh. Based on their ecological characters, the forests of Bangladesh can be divided into
1. Tropical wet evergreen,
2. Tropical semi‐evergreen,
3. Tropical moist deciduous,
4. Tidal, and
5. Planted forests
Nonrenewable mineral natural resources
Mineral Resources are mineral reserves plus all other deposits that may eventually become available. Deposits that are not economically or technologically recoverable at present, unknown deposits or those have not yet been discovered. Because of a different geological environment, important mineral deposits of Bangladesh are-
Gas:
There are 24 discovered gas fields in Bangladesh of various sizes. The total reserve of 20 gas fields is about 26 Tcf (trillion cubic feet). Gas in most of the fields is dry; in a few fields it is wet. Main gas fields of our country are- Titas, Beanibazar, Jalalabad, and Kailashtila, chatok. Currently, natural gas accounts for more than 70% of the total commercial energy consumption and the major part of the future energy demand would be met from it.
Use of Gas:
Power sector ranks the highest (44%); fertiliser sector ranks the second (28%); and industry, domestic, commercial and other sectors together rank third (22%) in gas consumption.
Coal:
Coal first discovered in the country by Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) in 1959 was at great depth. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF BANGLADESH (GSB) continued its efforts for exploration that resulted in the discovery of 4 coalfields. The development of underground Barapukuria Coal Mine, one of the five fields, started in June 1996, which was scheduled to be completed in May 200l, but due to some changes in mine design it will take some more time. Exploitable coal reserve of Barapukuria is 64 million ton and annual production has been estimated to be I million ton A power station will be set up with a capacity of 300MW using this coal.
Limestone:
In the early 1960s, a quarry of limestone of Eocene age with a small reserve at Takerghat in the North eastern part of the country started supplying raw materials to a cement factory. In the 1960s GSB discovered another limestone deposit in Joypurhat with a total reserve of 100 million ton. In the mid 1990s GSB discovered limestone deposit at Jahanpur and Paranagar.
Hard Rock:
Bangladesh has dearth of construction materials. A large deposit of grand diorite, quartz diorite,
GSB discovered hard rock in Maddhyapara, Dinajpur. The Rock Quality Designation (RQD)of fresh rock varies from 60% to 100%.Development of this underground hard rock mine is going on by Nam Nam Co, a North Korean company. Its production was scheduled to start in 2002 and the annual production has been estimated to be 1.65million ton.
Peat:
In Bangladesh peat deposits occur in the marshy areas of the north‐eastern, middle and south western parts with a total reserve of more than 170 million ton. Calorific value of peat ranges from 6000 to 7000 BTU/lb.
Use of Peat:
Peat can be used as fuel for domestic purposes, brick manufacturing, boilers etc.
Construction sand:
It is very much available in the riverbeds throughout the country. Sand consists mostly of quartz of medium to coarse grains. It is extensively used as construction material for buildings, bridges, roads etc all over the country.
Gravel:
Deposits of gravel are found along the piedmont areas of the HIMALAYAS in the northern boundaries of Bangladesh. These river borne gravels come from the upstream during the rainy season. Total reserve of the gravel deposits is about 10 million cu m. Gravel deposits are being exploited and used in the country.
Glass sand:
Important deposits of glass sand of the country are at Balijuri, Shahjibazar and Chauddagram at or near the surface, Maddhyapara and Barapukuria below the surface.
White Clay:
There are surface to near surface deposits of white clay in Bijoypur and Gopalpur area of Netrokonadistrict, Nalitabari of Sherpur district, Haidgaon and Baitul Izzat of Satkania upazila,Chittagong district, Maddhyapara, Barapukuria, Dighipara of Dinajpur district and Patnitalaof Naogaon district. The exposed white clay is not good in quality.
Use of white clay:
It is used in the ceramic factories of Bangladesh after mixing with high quality imported clay.
Beach sand:
Deposits of beach sand have been identified in the coastal belt and in the coastal islands of Bangladesh. Different heavy minerals and their reserves are: Zircon, Rutile, Ilmenite, Leucoxene, Kyanite, Garnet, Magnetite and Monazite.
Brick Clay:
In Bangladesh the mineralogical, chemical and engineering properties of Pleistocene and Holocene brick clays of Dhaka, Narayanganj and Narsingdi districts are well documented. The bulk chemistry and engineering properties of the Holocene and Pleistocene samples have been found satisfactory for manufacturing good quality bricks. These are being exploited and widely used in the country.
Conclusion
Not only those are natural resources but also some other elements are known as natural resources. But in Bangladesh those are the most common and important natural resources.
Natural resources are most important for a country. There are many countries which directly depend on natural resources. Bangladesh is a developing country. Area of Bangladesh is small. We have also some natural resources. Some are renewable and some are non‐renewable.
Classification of natural resources of Bangladesh
In the context of Bangladesh the natural resources are classified into two types. Followings are the categories of natural resources of Bangladesh.
• Renewable Natural Resources are Water, Fish, Forested and
• Nonrenewable Mineral Natural Resources are Gas & Oil, Coal, Rock, and Sand etc.
Renewable Natural Resources
Water Resources:
Water is the available renewable natural resources of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is endowed with plenty of surface and ground water resources. Surface water inflows of the country vary from a maximum of 140,000 m3/s in August to a minimum of about 7,000 m3/s in February. Several resources of water are-
River
Bangladesh is the country of rivers. Main rivers in Bangladesh are- Padma,Meghna, Shurma, Brahmaputra, Jomuna, Kapotaksha, Matamuhuri etc.
Bay of Bengal
Another surface water source of Bangladesh is Bay of Bengal, a northern extended arm of the INDIAN OCEAN. The Bay occupies an area of about 2.2 million sq km and the average depth is 2,600m with a maximum depth of 5,258m. Bangladesh is situated at the head of the Bay of Bengal.
Fisheries resources:
Bangladesh possesses a wide range of fishes, prawns, lobsters and other crustaceans, mollusks, turtles and other fishery resources inhabiting its extensive marine and inland open waters. The total fish production of Bangladesh was estimated at 11, 72,800 m tons in 1995. Inland open water fisheries contributed 73 percent of the total fish production. In 1987, Bangladesh became third in world inland fish and shrimp production after China and India. Fisheries account for 4.7 percent of GDP, 9.1 percent of the export earnings, 6 percent of the supply of protein and about 80 percent of the animal protein intake of its population.
Forest Resources:
Forest is another renewable natural resources of Bangladesh. 16% of total land is forest-area of Bangladesh. Based on their ecological characters, the forests of Bangladesh can be divided into
1. Tropical wet evergreen,
2. Tropical semi‐evergreen,
3. Tropical moist deciduous,
4. Tidal, and
5. Planted forests
Nonrenewable mineral natural resources
Mineral Resources are mineral reserves plus all other deposits that may eventually become available. Deposits that are not economically or technologically recoverable at present, unknown deposits or those have not yet been discovered. Because of a different geological environment, important mineral deposits of Bangladesh are-
Gas:
There are 24 discovered gas fields in Bangladesh of various sizes. The total reserve of 20 gas fields is about 26 Tcf (trillion cubic feet). Gas in most of the fields is dry; in a few fields it is wet. Main gas fields of our country are- Titas, Beanibazar, Jalalabad, and Kailashtila, chatok. Currently, natural gas accounts for more than 70% of the total commercial energy consumption and the major part of the future energy demand would be met from it.
Use of Gas:
Power sector ranks the highest (44%); fertiliser sector ranks the second (28%); and industry, domestic, commercial and other sectors together rank third (22%) in gas consumption.
Coal:
Coal first discovered in the country by Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) in 1959 was at great depth. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF BANGLADESH (GSB) continued its efforts for exploration that resulted in the discovery of 4 coalfields. The development of underground Barapukuria Coal Mine, one of the five fields, started in June 1996, which was scheduled to be completed in May 200l, but due to some changes in mine design it will take some more time. Exploitable coal reserve of Barapukuria is 64 million ton and annual production has been estimated to be I million ton A power station will be set up with a capacity of 300MW using this coal.
Limestone:
In the early 1960s, a quarry of limestone of Eocene age with a small reserve at Takerghat in the North eastern part of the country started supplying raw materials to a cement factory. In the 1960s GSB discovered another limestone deposit in Joypurhat with a total reserve of 100 million ton. In the mid 1990s GSB discovered limestone deposit at Jahanpur and Paranagar.
Hard Rock:
Bangladesh has dearth of construction materials. A large deposit of grand diorite, quartz diorite,
GSB discovered hard rock in Maddhyapara, Dinajpur. The Rock Quality Designation (RQD)of fresh rock varies from 60% to 100%.Development of this underground hard rock mine is going on by Nam Nam Co, a North Korean company. Its production was scheduled to start in 2002 and the annual production has been estimated to be 1.65million ton.
Peat:
In Bangladesh peat deposits occur in the marshy areas of the north‐eastern, middle and south western parts with a total reserve of more than 170 million ton. Calorific value of peat ranges from 6000 to 7000 BTU/lb.
Use of Peat:
Peat can be used as fuel for domestic purposes, brick manufacturing, boilers etc.
Construction sand:
It is very much available in the riverbeds throughout the country. Sand consists mostly of quartz of medium to coarse grains. It is extensively used as construction material for buildings, bridges, roads etc all over the country.
Gravel:
Deposits of gravel are found along the piedmont areas of the HIMALAYAS in the northern boundaries of Bangladesh. These river borne gravels come from the upstream during the rainy season. Total reserve of the gravel deposits is about 10 million cu m. Gravel deposits are being exploited and used in the country.
Glass sand:
Important deposits of glass sand of the country are at Balijuri, Shahjibazar and Chauddagram at or near the surface, Maddhyapara and Barapukuria below the surface.
White Clay:
There are surface to near surface deposits of white clay in Bijoypur and Gopalpur area of Netrokonadistrict, Nalitabari of Sherpur district, Haidgaon and Baitul Izzat of Satkania upazila,Chittagong district, Maddhyapara, Barapukuria, Dighipara of Dinajpur district and Patnitalaof Naogaon district. The exposed white clay is not good in quality.
Use of white clay:
It is used in the ceramic factories of Bangladesh after mixing with high quality imported clay.
Beach sand:
Deposits of beach sand have been identified in the coastal belt and in the coastal islands of Bangladesh. Different heavy minerals and their reserves are: Zircon, Rutile, Ilmenite, Leucoxene, Kyanite, Garnet, Magnetite and Monazite.
Brick Clay:
In Bangladesh the mineralogical, chemical and engineering properties of Pleistocene and Holocene brick clays of Dhaka, Narayanganj and Narsingdi districts are well documented. The bulk chemistry and engineering properties of the Holocene and Pleistocene samples have been found satisfactory for manufacturing good quality bricks. These are being exploited and widely used in the country.
Conclusion
Not only those are natural resources but also some other elements are known as natural resources. But in Bangladesh those are the most common and important natural resources.
