Sustainability and the Environment : Prospect and Challenges of Renewable Energy in Bangladesh

Unlimited access to energy sources is essential for modern development. Especially, for a developing country like Bangladesh, having a sustained energy supply is a prerequisite for economic growth. To alleviate poverty in the face of limited resources and high population density, Bangladesh requires a sustainable economic growth model where renewable energy sources are used properly. This paper represents a baseline overview of prospects and challenges of renewable energy resources in that country. The latest studies regarding renewable energy and associated energy storage systems have been collected from different government departments and the private sector including NGOs which are working on solar power, wind power generation, biomass and biogas energy, and hydro energy systems. This paper concludes that Bangladesh has the opportunity to meet its future power demands and thus economic growth through renewable energy. Using renewable energy appropriately may improve rural people’s quality of life and provide income-generating opportunities that redress social inequities and environmental damage in Bangladesh