In 2019, Bangladesh set a target to end the use of traditional bricks and switch to concrete blocks in all government construction works by June 2025. Aimed at preventing the loss of farmland and the high greenhouse gas emissions associated with brickmaking, the result has largely been “a failure,” according to a top official. “Initially, our target was to use concrete blocks and hollow bricks in all kinds of government works including building public infrastructures, roads, etc.,” Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), told Mongabay. “Unfortunately, most of the government works have continued to be carried out with the traditional bricks, which mostly made the target a failure.” Various government departments run a wide range of construction projects, including the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, the Education Engineering Department and the Roads and Highways Department. “Of them, only the public works ministry reached its use of 100% clean materials while the others are far behind the target,” Hasan said. Md. Ziuaul Haque, additional director-general of the Department of Environment, said a new deadline for the transition is being planned. “As per our estimation, around 30-40% of the total government works have come under the use of alternative building materials so far,” he said. “We are planning to set a new timeline and impose strict directions to the related government agencies to meet the goal of 100% use of clean bricks.” Damaging to land and climate A boom in infrastructure and…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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