Sustainable Design of Ship Breaking Industry in Developing Countries
Ship breaking industry is one of the important industries for developing economies. It provides employment, economic prosperity and much needed re-useable materials for country’s economic development. Ship breaking industry is green per se as it allows using scrap metals and other machineries for vertical and horizontal recycling. It provides raw materials for national economic activities including industrialization, construction, and building and infrastructure development. Ship breaking is crucial especially for Bangladesh as it does not have any natural resources including iron ore except the natural gas. Although ship breaking is economically beneficial but it comes with a huge environmental and occupational health and safety cost. Ship breaking industries have been developed through unplanned and unscientific ways in most developing countries. In this study, a systematic and sustainable approach to ship breaking activities has been proposed. With proper implementation, it will not only safeguard the environment and occupational health and safety but also improve productivity, profit margin and national economic prosperity. The proposed approach can be replicated in most developing countries with little or no modification.
Abdullah, M.H., Mahboob, M.G. and A.A. Biruni (2011). Ship breaking yards: A threat to coastal environment of Bangladesh. Presented in webinar-8 of Bangladesh Environment Network, JAPAN (BEN Japan), retrieved from on 9 June 2011.
Basel Convention (2003). Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management for Full and Partial Dismantling of Ships. UNEP, Geneva, Basel Convention series/SBC No. 2003/2.
Demaria, F. (2010). Shipbreaking at Alang–Sosiya (India): An ecological distribution conflict. Ecological Economics, 70: 250–260.
Hossain, M.M. and M.M. Islam (2006). Ship Breaking Activities and its Impact on the Coastal Zone of Chittagong, Bangladesh: Towards Sustainable Management. Young Power in Social Action, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Islam, K.L. and Hossain, M.M. (1986). Effect of ship scrapping activities on the soil and sea environment in the coastal area of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Marine Pollution Bulletin,17: 462–463.
ILO (International Labour Organization) (2003). Draft Guidelines on Safety and Health in Ship Breaking Interregional: Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Safety and Health in Ship Breaking for Selected Asian Countries and Turkey. International Labour Office, Geneva, pp. 100–101.
Neser, G., Unsalan, D., Tekogul, N. and F. Stuer-Lauridsen (2008). The shipbreaking industry in Turkey: Environmental, safety and health issues. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16: 350–358.
Sarraf, M., Stuer-Lauridsen, F., Dyoulgerov, M., Bloch, R., Wingfield, S. and R. Watkinson (2010). The Ship Breaking and Recycling Industry in Bangladesh and Pakistan. The World Bank Report No. 58275-SAS.
Siddiquee, N.A., Parween, S., Quddus, M.M.A. and P. Barua (2009). Heavy metal pollution in sediments at shipbreaking area of Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, 6: 7–12.
The Shipbuilders Association of Japan (2010). Shipbuilding Statistics, Japan, pp. 17.
Young Power in Social Action (2005). Workers in Ship Breaking Industries: A Base Line Survey of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), Chittagong, Bangladesh.