Presentation on Dhaka City : Challenges for Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable City

Dr. Atiq Rahman, Ferdous Jahan, PhD & Dwijen Mallick

Workshop on Building Resilient, Inclusive & Sustainable Cities

Organized by: University of Leicester Venue: Council Suite Rooms # 1&2 Date: 8-9 November 2018

BANGLADESH CENTRE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES House 10, Road 16A, Gulshan 1, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh Phone: 8818214-7, 9851234, 9852904; Fax: 9851417 Website: www.bcas.net Dhaka City: Rural-Urban Continuum Dhaka City: Rural-Urban Continuum Dhaka a Growing Megacity South Asia Dhaka a Growing Megacity South Asia

• Bangladesh is experiencing rapid urbanization • Urban population growth of 7% annually • Both pull & push factors including poverty, environmental degradation, river ban erosion and climate change • Dhaka is characterized with unplanned development, inadequate urban infrastructures and facilities, traffic congestion, low standard of living, environmental degradation, poor governance, lack of interagency coordination and growing climate change impacts on city population, economy and society Dhaka a Growing Megacity South Asia

• Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh • A megacity in the South Asia having immense economic, political and cultural importance • The area of Dhaka has been inhabited since the first millennium and the city rose to prominence in the 17th century as a provincial capital and commercial centre of Mughal empire in the Indian sub-continent • Under the British Empire, the city saw the introduction of electricity, railway, modern water supply and western-style education • Dhaka is the home of over 15 million people within 306 sq km. • The population density is very high • Dhaka will be the home of 25 million by the year 2025 The Key Challenges in Dhaka City

• Rapid growth of population due to huge • A consultation on Road Map in-migration (0.5-0.7 million annually) for Implementation of UN • Urban poverty & slum development Urban Agenda for 2030 has identified the following issues • Traffic congestion and road accidents and challenges: • Air and water pollution • Institutional Integration • Lack of spaces and greenery & Urban governance • Acute housing problems • Pro-poor and climate resilience housing • Lack of energy and power supply • Accessibility to basic • Inadequate health services, poor water services & transport; and and sanitation facilities Disaster risk reduction • Lack of institutional integration • • Climate change • Poor governance Adaptation& • Growing disaster risks, & Mitigation • Climate change Impacts Growing Urban Poverty in Dhaka City • Wealth and Economic Transition • Contradictions: Wealthy people and extreme poverty • Growing pollution & environmental degradation Urban Slums Urban Traffic Congestion Poor Urban Infrastructure and Communication Urban Flood & Water Logging Urban Flood & Human Sufferings Living in Inhuman Conditions Urban Air Pollution • Air and water pollution severely impact health of all, particularly children

• Bronchial diseases and Asthma one of the greatest killers

• The cost of human health impacted and time and fuel wasted by cars stationery in traffic is huge; is it worth paying for by our present development model

• Emerging diseases (e.g., dengue, chikungunya, diarrheal diseases) have been contributed by climate change and urban mismanagement

• Sound pollution is still dominant despite some efforts Impacts of the Key Challenges: Studies & Data Sources • All the key problems and challenges have serious negative impacts on • Society, economy, human settlement, environment and natural systems of Dhaka city • Few studies have been conducted recently by BCAS, academies and research institutions, UN agencies, INGOs and government departments • A recent survey conducted by WFP (2015) says that main reasons of the rapid growth urban population is rural to urban migration. Thousands of people from disaster prone districts and climate hotspots like coastal districts, riverine chars (island), drought prone upland and haor basins migrate to Dhaka city every year Impacts of the Key Challenges: Studies & Data Sources • Other pioneering studies on Dhaka city include: • Rabbani and Rahman, 2011; Yahya et al., 2010; Mowla and Islam, 2013;; Alam and Rabbani, 2007, which focused on City population, infrastructures, society and economy in general, but on urban poor in Dhaka city and their working potentials, habitats, health and living conditions as well as on climatic hazards and their associated impacts in Dhaka city • The studies by World Bank, 2007; Hossain, 2008; UNICEF, 2010; Ahmed, 2013) have focussed on human settlements and access to basic services; and • Hossain et al. (2013) have mentioned two major problems with water supply in Dhaka slums; & the poor quality of the water supplied for the city dwellers • There has been lack of study on climate change impacts and vulnerability of the communities and development sectors like garments industries, trade & business, SMEs and the growing service sectors Impacts of the Key Challenges: Data Sources

Level of uncertainty (low, Quantifiable impact Data sources medium, high) on Population, poverty and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic (BBS), Population Low to Medium urban slum improvement; Council, Department of Population Sciences at the inclusive social development University of Dhaka; Urban Development and economic growth Directorate (UDD); RAJUK, Planning Commission, GED, CUS, BCAS; BIDS, Coalition on Urban Poor

Environmental Pollution, MoEF&CC, DoE, DPHE, LGED, NLGI, HDRI, National Medium degradation, health, Housing Authority, BCAS, NSU, BUET, University of housing, traffic and basic Dhaka, NIPSOM, amenities; Institutional integration & governance

Climate Change, Disasters, BCAS, BRAC University, MoEF & CC, DoE, DDM, Medium to High adaptation, mitigation, DRR BMD, BBS, ICCCAD and Resilience Impacts of the Key Challenges: What are the Gaps? • Nature and trends of the problems behind the challenges • Deeper understanding of the impacts of climate change and consequences on society, economy and ecosystems & ESS • Opportunities and options in the SDGs regimes • Integration of CCA & DRR under the Sendai and Paris Agreements • Policy & sectoral responses: technology and innovation for WASH, energy efficiency and resilient housing etc. • Institutional integration, participation and governance • Community actions and institutional measures Relevant Policies & SDGs

• Government of Bangladesh has • By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the developed strategies and action number of people affected plan in line with SDG-11 to make and substantially decrease & the direct economic losses the cities and human settlement relative to global gross inclusive, safe and resilient domestic product caused by disasters, including water- • The key goals and targets are: related disasters, with a focus By 2030, ensure access for all to on protecting the poor and • people in vulnerable adequate, safe and affordable situations housing and basic services and • By 2030, enhance inclusive upgrade slums and sustainable urbanization • By 2030, provide access to safe, and capacity for participatory, affordable, accessible and integrated and sustainable sustainable transport systems for all, human settlement planning improving road safety, notably by and management for all expanding public transport Top Collaborating Partners in Dhaka City

• Government Ministries & Departments (MoEF&CC, DoE, DDM, BMD, Forest Department) • RAJUK and Urban Development Directorate • Planning Commission & GED • Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic (BBS) • Centre for Urban Studies (CUS) at the University of Dhaka • NILG & City Corporation • Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) • Bangladesh Urban Forum (BUF) • Bangladesh Climate Change and Development Forum • ICCCAD at the IUB • C3ER at the University of BRAC Specific Areas for Research, Innovation and Advocacy

• Affordable, pro-poor and climate resilient housing & habitats • Improvement of traffic systems • Sustainable water supply, sanitation and energy • Human health and well being • Greenery and city space • Climate change adaptation & DRR • Social and cultural heritage • How to expand the urban services to the rural areas in a planned and environment friendly way • Equity, inculcation & justice; and • Responsible citizenship Key Research Questions

• Resilience: • Inclusive and safe water, sanitation and health risk management • Heat Stress and Health Risk Management of the Poor, Women, Children and Elderly People • Improve resilience to Small and Medium Enterprise & Growing Service Sector (which provide 60% employment in Dhaka City) • Synergy among the Sendai Framework and Paris Agreement (NDCs) with focus on energy, industry, transports and service sector in Dhaka for • Adaptation and DRR • Mitigation and pollution control • Resources and energy efficiency with 3Rs Key Research Questions

• Inclusiveness: • Inclusion of Poor, women, professionals and marginal groups in adaptation planning and implementation • Inclusion of Community Based Organization and local/social leaders in city planning and implementation: creating space for all to contribute • Multi-stakeholder engagement in implementation of New UN Urban Agenda for 2030 • Sustainability: • How to increase ownership, participation and partnership of all actors and stakeholders • Improving governance, integration and responsive institutions • Exploring the interface of the economic, social and environmental imperatives in the resilient cities In 2015, the world has seen a grand convergence of three global agreements • Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (and climate change adaptation)

• SDGs: Agenda for 2015-2030 • The World We Want • Universal Push to Transform Our World • Leaving No One Behind

• Paris Agreement 2015 November • 196 countries universal agreement • Came into force at unprecedented speed in CoP 23 Marrakesh What do we want in Bangladesh?

• An Urbanized Bangladesh (planned and resilient cities with thriving population, vibrant economy & culture in sound environment)

• An Urban Areas and Centres with Rural Endowments

• A Rural Bangladesh with all Urban Facilities

• There is no Single Bangladesh Solution & • Let Thousand Flowers Bloom Thank You