International Development Partnership With Bangladesh University Of Engineering And Technology In Pollution Prevention

The Chemical Engineering Departments at North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&TSU) and Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) have collaborated in a USAID linkage program to enhance the pollution prevention activities in Bangladesh through joint curriculum development and research project programs. Bangladesh is one of the world’s poorest and most densely populated countries. Environmental pollution, especially surface water pollution, is a significant problem with increased industrial activities in the textile and fertilizer sectors. Thus, sustainable planning and management of water resources has become a priority consideration for the future welfare of Bangladesh. BUET is benefiting from the linkage program in the following areas: faculty development in pollution prevention, curriculum development in pollution prevention, facility and equipment plan development, and development of collaborative research in pollution prevention wit h emphasis on surface and groundwater contamination and water purification. Cost savings and sustainability of the linkage are being encouraged through an emphasis on the use of electronic conferencing technology. It is hoped that through these activities, BUET would become a national resource for educating engineering students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in pollution prevention, and that as these students enter positions of leadership in industry and government, they will use their training to make wise decisions for the future of the environment in Bangladesh.