Socioeconomic and environmental impacts of bridge construction: evidence from the Khan Jahan Ali Bridge, Khulna, Bangladesh

Abstract

Purpose

Khan Jahan Ali (KJA) Bridge was constructed to promote industrial and commercial activity and improve economic and employment activity for local people. This study assessed the post-socioeconomic and environmental impacts of KJA Bridge on the inhabitants living adjacent to 2 Km from the bridge. As there is a slum adjacent to the bridge, the bridge has impacted much on the improvement of the social economic condition and lifestyle of the slum people.

Design/methodology/approach

The study approached a questionnaire-based field survey data collection through interviewing the people in the surrounding areas. To assess the environmental impacts, land cover change (LCC), carbon emissions and land surface temperature (LST) data were derived from Landsat images and processed in geospatial environment.

Findings

The study suggests that after bridge construction, 84% people have new jobs and about 87% people's income level has been increased. As a tourist spot, the bridge served employment opportunities for the 12% of the inhabitants. About 83% house structures have been improved, where the percentages of pucca and semi-pucca houses increased by 11% and 23%, respectively. The frequency of school-going children and literacy rate also increased. Despite all the socioeconomic development, 7.48% agricultural, 9.75% vegetation, 1.74% waterbodies were declined. Net carbon emissions increased to 13,432.39 tons from 3,323.46 tons; average LST increased from 25.750 to 32.550°C after the bridge construction.

Originality/value

This study focused on descriptive statistical analysis and portrayed the impact of the bridge on social, economic and environment from a micro point of view.

Citation

Fattah, M.A., Morshed, S.R., Biswas, G., Haque, M.N., Ansar, S.B., Hoque, M.M., Sami, F.Y. and Rimi, A.A. (2021), "Socioeconomic and environmental impacts of bridge construction: evidence from the Khan Jahan Ali Bridge, Khulna, Bangladesh", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 48 No. 8, pp. 1121-1138. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-01-2021-0023