Brick kilns have long been a significant cause of environmental degradation in Bangladesh, contributing to air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, and depletion of topsoil on agricultural land.
Recognizing these detrimental impacts, the government of Bangladesh introduced an ambitious policy in 2019 to transition from traditional fired clay bricks to sustainable alternatives, notably hollow concrete blocks and soil stabilized blocks, aiming for full adoption by 2025, particularly within public construction projects.
By using blocks in public building construction, the government aims to set a precedent encouraging the private sector to adopt these sustainable practices.
Currently, there is a notable lack of publicly available data regarding implementation status. The Public Works Department (PWD) initiated efforts in 2022 to develop a comprehensive database by collecting information from its district offices on non-fired brick and block usage.
However, several newspaper reports indicate that numerous challenges impede policy progress. Key obstacles include the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, inadequate coordination among authorities, insufficient incentives for brick producers to shift to blocks, limited block availability, continued growth in fired clay brick production, insufficient awareness among contractors and consumers about cost efficiency, and a shortage of skilled workers.
Inadequate coordination among various agencies, including PWD, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), and the Department of Environment (DoE), complicates assessing overall policy implementation.
To address this issue, DoE could collect and share data on legal and illegal brick kilns and block producers, while PWD and LGED could gather and share data on non-fired brick and block usage. Establishing a shared database would enable policymakers and implementation agencies to efficiently monitor progress, identify trends, and expedite policy implementation.
Considering bricks' nationwide availability, consumers remain more inclined to use bricks instead of blocks. To encourage the shift toward blocks, the government may consider stricter licensing for brick kilns, closely monitoring compliance with the Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kiln Establishment (Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
An ongoing experimental research project led by Martin Mattsson at the National University of Singapore showcases a promising method that utilizes satellite data and advanced modeling to identify, target, and monitor brick kiln operations more effectively, enabling enforcement actions against the most highly polluting kilns.
By providing real-time pollution estimates and regulatory violations through an online "brick kiln tracker" dashboard to officials from the DoE, this approach seeks to improve kiln regulation, promote the transition to cleaner technologies, and decrease pollution by prioritizing enforcement actions on the most harmful kilns.
This live tracker represents a potentially scalable strategy for environmental governance, particularly in countries grappling with severe air pollution and limited enforcement capabilities.
Rapid policy implementation would naturally increase the countrywide demand for blocks. Currently, however, supply-demand issues limit progress.
Block factories have not expanded nationwide due to low demand, which, combined with limited availability, increases transportation costs and further discourages block usage. Large companies like Mir and Concord dominate the market due to their technical expertise, advanced technology, and skilled workforce.
To expand nationwide block production, incentivizing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through low-interest loans, technical assistance, and training could boost block availability and affordability.
Nevertheless, ensuring new factories maintain high production standards and environmental clearances is essential; otherwise, consumer dissatisfaction with poor-quality blocks could hinder adoption.
By using blocks in public building construction, the government aims to set a precedent encouraging the private sector to adopt these sustainable practices
Incentivizing brick factory owners to transition to block manufacturing by providing favourable loans under Bangladesh Bank’s green financing scheme, featuring long repayment periods and streamlined procedures, could encourage wider adoption.
However, sudden kiln closures could impact approximately 10 lakh workers and complicate implementation. Large brick producers who previously took loans through green financing schemes will also face difficulties obtaining new financing unless existing loans are repaid.
Therefore, loan rescheduling or gradual transition plans must be carefully considered. The government can also exempt block production machinery imports from duties and offer incentives for local machinery manufacturing to gradually reduce reliance on imports.
Additionally, skilled labour scarcity poses a barrier to broader block adoption. Blocks, larger and heavier than bricks, require greater care and technical skill during placement. Investing in vocational training programs and offering incentives to workers to acquire essential block construction skills could overcome this issue.
While the Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI) has provided some training, broader training initiatives involving collaboration among governmental entities, technical institutions, and vocational training centers are crucial.
Extensive campaigns targeting local contractors and consumers are necessary to educate stakeholders about the advantages of blocks, including environmental benefits, cost savings, energy efficiency, and insulation.
The low adoption rate of blocks compared to bricks is mainly due to the longstanding habit of using fired clay bricks. However, blocks have several advantages, including overall cost reduction and improved heat control.
Providing clear information on where to source blocks and highlighting successful block-based construction projects could further encourage their adoption and bring change to the existing culture of using fired clay bricks.
Recognizing the gaps in information and training, the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), with support from HBRI, is conducting an experimental study informed by earlier exploratory research. Those findings revealed that contractors often remain unaware of the policy or cannot adopt blocks because of limited availability, misconceptions, and shortages of skilled workers.
If increased awareness and targeted training boost block adoption and reduce misconceptions, it could serve as an affordable, complementary measure to ensure successful policy implementation. However, this approach alone will not suffice unless government implementation agencies treat the policy as a priority and actively push for its enforcement.
While the policy to transition from bricks to blocks in Bangladesh shows promising potential for sustainable construction, existing challenges need to be addressed. Given the current state of policy progress, it is clear that reaching the 2025 target is unrealistic.
However, there is still time to address the obstacles hindering the broader implementation of block production and usage, and thereby advance to a sustainable construction sector.
Md Mohsin Hossain is a Research Associate at the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University.
