Journal of Environment and Earth Science www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3216 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0948 (Online) Vol.6, No.9, 2016 105 Impacts of Unplanned Urbanization on the Socio–Economic Conditions and Environment of Pabna Municipality, Bangladesh Md. Yahia Bapari 1 Md. Enamul Haque 2 Dr. Mir Khaled Ikbal Chowdhury 3 Md. Jahidul Islam 4 1.Lecturer, Pabna University of Science & Technology 2.Assistant professor, Pabna University of Science & Technology 3.Associate professor, Dept. of Economics, Pabna University of Science & Technology 4.Lecturer, Dept. of Social work, Pabna University of Science & Technology Abstract Urbanization plays a significant role to progress and develop the human civilization because it radically changes the basic foundation of the ingredients of social, economic, political and cultural structures of a society and the country as well. Sustainable development can be acquired with the implementation of successful urban planning but a city or town even a country can be gradually unsuitable for living if the urbanization process is unplanned and haphazard. This study was based on the process of unplanned urbanization in Pabna municipality of Bangladesh and also dealt its effects on the current socio – economic conditions. The study showed that Pabna municipality is gradually developed owing to the unplanned urbanization yet many solemn and highly risky problems are perceiving and detecting for both human and environment such as overpopulation, haphazard housing service, health burdens, urban poverty, crime, child labor, erratic education system, mismanagement of waste, deforestation, air, water, sound and soil pollutions, carbon emission, environmental hazards, traffic jam, mis– and unemployment, improper drainage system, inadequate entertainment facilities, drug abuse, vulnerable ecosystem, medley lifestyle and culture etc. Finally, the study made some highly effective suggestions and policy recommendations for escaping from these conditions by which Pabna municipality would be familiar as a model urban region in Bangladesh. 1.0 INTRODUCTION The role and contribution of urbanization is undeniable to build up the present human civilization from the ancient period of time. Urbanization changes the social and economic aspects and also effects on population migration towards urban areas which are seemed to be real development centers of numerous fascinated opportunities for highly qualified civic life because the urban areas are considered to be true coordinator of both economic and demographic growth (Dociu & Dunarintu, 2012). A powerful and irreversible process is the urbanization which takes so many time to build up the todays’ modern civilized world. Only 3% area of the world had been urbanized for 10,000 years from the starting point of human settlement to 1,800 AD and it was 14% after a century (Annez & Buckley, 2010). The United Nations announced in 2007 that people have passed a long transition period of urbanization where 50% of the world population has been living at the first time in cities from rural areas and it is predicted that only 66% of the world population will be urbanized in 2050 (UN, 2011). Bangladesh is one of the highly populated countries in the world where urban population has been rising over time due to the migration from rural sector to industrial or service sector in searching for employment opportunities and leading qualified living status (Zaman et.al., 2010). A historical transition has been taking place in 2000 – 2010 for the group of low income countries like Bangladesh because at first in the history of these countries the urban population growth rate is increasing faster than rural sector (Khan, 2008). By no criterion, Bangladesh can be called an ‘urban nation’, with only 28.4 per cent of the population lived in cities in Bangladesh in 2011 while 52.1 percent was the world’s urbanization (Islam et al., 2013). Developed and standard urbanization is the center point of human expectations in the twenty-first century because it is treated by many economists as a center and bearer of economic development and poverty reduction. For this reason, researchers, experts and urban and development planners are providing various effective suggestions for making environment friendly, hygienic and balanced urbanization. Therefore, making the city life toward development, cosiness, environment friendly and viable is now the demand of time. 1.1 JUSTIFICATION Pabna is one of the oldest municipal cities in Bangladesh where population is increasing and unplanned urbanization creates enormous pressure on this low lying piece of land which is highly vulnerable to monsoon flood (Mamun, 2014). Like any other cities in Bangladesh the heaven and risky touches of urbanization are observing in the Pabna municipality for which almost all sectors videlicet education, health and various social and economic indices and cultural and political thinking are gradually becoming develop day by day. But, Civic decay, environmental hazards and natural camities are spectacularly observing almost all areas of the pabna city. It is obvious that the future of Pabna municipality largely depends upon the urbanization process