BRICK Lab

Cleaner Brick Manufacturing in Bangladesh

Brick manufacturing constitutes a substantial portion of the economy and employment opportunities in Bangladesh. The kilns used to make bricks also generate enormous pollution. Estimates suggest that the brick kiln sector alone may be responsible for up to half of all particulate matter in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka.

The problem is a matter of global significance: each year the global gasses from brick kilns in South Asia is equivalent to the climate impact generated from the entire US passenger car fleet. Brick manufacturing demonstrates the complex tradeoffs between growth and the environment, and demands a new approach. Efforts in the past thirty years have focused on constructing capital intensive modern kilns, or relied on government regulations and enforcement. Due to the high costs of these new kilns and the inability to enforce regulations, progress has been slow. The lab is working with civic organizations and environmental advisory firms to generate scientific evidence on how to increase adoption and use of new technologies that can drive profits up and pollution down. 

Our team:

Stephen Luby, Professor of Medicine, Senior Fellow, Woods Institute of the Environment, Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; Principal Investigator

Debashish Biswas, Assistant Scientist, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Nina Brooks, PhD, Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Joint-MA in Economics, Stanford University

Grant Miller, Associate Professor of Medicine, Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Fellow, Woods Institute of the Environment.

Bangladesh Brick Manufacturing Owners Association (BBMOA)

Greentech Knowledge Solutions Pvt. Ltd

Website: A Better Brick: Solving an Airborne Health Threat

Related content:

• The Luby Lab
• Q&A with Stephen Luby, Sameer Maithel, and Debashish Biswas on their work together to spur cleaner brick manufacturing in Bangladesh
• Better Brick Labs' work underscores pollution's impact on child health

• Five Lessons from a Scientist as Problem Solver: Stephen Luby & Cleaner Brick Manufacturing in Bangladesh

• Cleaner Brick Manufacturing in Bangladesh