Environment

Nature's Unappreciated Wonders

The Optimist

Today, I woke up in the morning, thinking about my country and how it is being constantly, unfairly criticised for being corrupt, overpopulated, dirty, and illiterate-you name it.

As recently as last week, we have been frowned upon for the state of our disaster and risk management strategies. I find this rather appalling because time and again, people deny the fact that natural disasters in this country are not really disasters at all! They are in fact, quite beneficial for us. Let me explain. Take floods for example, supposedly the most common “disaster” in our kingdom. Sure it has its disadvantages but that is insignificant when you think about how all that water can solve the crisis everyone has been nagging about! Why does no one see that? Flood water also makes the soil extremely fertile and makes it possible for our farmers to grow not only local, but exotic foreign produce as well, like Hawaiian coconuts!

People can use boats to travel, saving fuel and gas and there is just something so romantic about boats (I love gondolas!) We can be known as the Venice of Asia! People can fish right outside their own homes, go swimming whenever they feel like it, we can make more use of hydroelectricity, promote tourism by offering all kinds of water sports, such as scuba diving, the government doesn't have to charge extra taxes to fix up the roads and all the traffic jam problems we have been having for some reason can come to an end- the possibilities are endless.

Now think about cyclones, I just love the way the weather is so nice and cool just before it happens. I think people just say they hate them, because I know everyone secretly loves it when it rains. I just sit by my window and watch the trees swaying like I am in a trance. Sure a few things get blown away but what is important is that its beauty blows you away as well. Material things can be replaced. As for people being blown away by cyclones, well I think that is just a myth. I have lived through many cyclones and I am withstanding one, am I not?

As for earthquakes, I still maintain that there is no such thing. I think it is a figment of peoples' imagination, like a mass hallucination if you will. When people are stressed out, they imagine the earth is moving beneath their feet and convince others that they can feel it too.

Let's see what else is left, oh yes I almost forgot landslides. Those are the best, I mean, look at how dirty and dry our grounds get, a good mudslide can cover all that up in a second and replace it with new, better soil. The piles of mud can also be used in construction, to replace the houses broken down during the landslide, I personally prefer little mud huts to those ugly brick building that are all the rage these days. Whenever I think of landslides, I fantasise about sitting on the land, as it slides down (wee!). I imagine it would be just like sitting on a playground slide, except better because this is all natural- a true miracle of nature.

I do believe we are all blessed to be living in a land of such diverse natural attractions (I refuse to call them disasters). I will send an encouraging letter to the environment minister, no I will encourage him to establish a law requiring all citizens to appreciate these attractions as much as I do. That is all I have to say about my Ruposhi Bangla.

This writer is Director of Durjog Domon, an NGO with innovative ideas to promote unrealistic optimism.
Translated by ANIKA HOSSAIN