‘Colonial concept’ of urban planning in country hinders effective management: Stakeholders

The urban landscape of Bangladesh continues to be influenced by colonial concepts, which stakeholders say result in significant challenges for urban planners to address problems in urban areas.

"In urban governance, the best solutions often come from the ground up. We need adaptive strategies, coordinated leadership, and community-driven designs to meet today's urban challenges," said Mohammad Azaz, administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation, at an event launching an initiative, Urban Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Hub, by Oxfam in Bangladesh and Curtin University of Australia, on Wednesday.

The initiative aims to foster urban resilience with climate action and disaster response following research, innovation, collaboration and advocacy.

Dhaka North Administrator Azaz further said right now, the city's housing system is very much privatised and commercialised, dictating the survival of its residents.

Md Shahjahan Mia, administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation, said from flooding to heat stress, Dhaka faces a spectrum of climate risks.

He underscored the urgency of collaborative action to address the challenges.

"Now is the time to ensure that investments address disaster risks and consider the requirements for climate adaptation and mitigation."

With over 58% of the world's population now living in urban areas—a number expected to hit 70% by 2050—cities are both victims and vectors of the climate crisis. They consume 75% of global energy, produce over 70% of CO₂ emissions, and are increasingly vulnerable to heatwaves, air pollution, sea-level rise, and floods. 

2024 was the hottest year on record, and urban poor and marginal communities like Dhaka's urban poor—many of whom live in informal settlements—face climate risks up to 10 times greater than their wealthier counterparts.

2024 was the hottest year on record, and urban poor and marginal communities, including the urban poor of Dhaka—many of whom live in informal settlements—experienced climate risks that are up to 10 times higher than those faced by their wealthier counterparts. 

Ashish Damle, country director of Oxfam in Bangladesh, said, "Cities like Dhaka are under siege from overlapping crises—soaring heat, air pollution, unplanned growth, and frequent climate-induced disasters. These challenges are pushing the most vulnerable communities deeper into risk."

The "Urban Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Hub" initiative seeks to address urban climate and disaster challenges through cutting-edge research, inclusive policy advocacy, capacity-building, and community-led innovation. 

At present, it focuses on six core themes— urban heat and pollution, energy transitions, green infrastructure, geospatial science, climate justice, and emergency response systems.

Prof Martin Van Kranendonk, head of the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University; Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, first secretary and deputy head of Development Cooperation at the Swedish embassy in Dhaka; and Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, secretary of the Local Government Division spoke at the event.

Mohammad Emran Hasan, head of Climate Justice and Natural Resource Rights at Oxfam in Bangladesh, and Ashraf Dewan, professor at Curtin University, gave a detailed presentation on the context, vision, and roadmap of the programme.