Experts call for more focus on climatic risk in urban development in Bangladesh

Urban planners on Tuesday urged the government to pay more focus on climatic risk and climate science in urban development in Bangladesh.

They emphasised the importance of nurturing secondary cities for residing growing numbers of internal climate migrants of Bangladesh.

They made the call at a seminar titled "Climate Resilient Urban Development in Bangladesh: Policy Gaps and Recommendations" organised by Centre for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD) as part of the 7th UIU International Conference on Sustainable Development at United International University in Dhaka. 

CPRD Chief Executive Md Shamsuddoha chaired and moderated the seminar.

Md Shamsuddoha stated that every policy should be made and implemented considering a climate change angle in it. He asserted that urbanisation always occurs centering existing city areas, so the city areas face an extra load of population which in turn causes these people to live in substandard living conditions. 

He also emphasised the importance of nurturing secondary cities for residing growing numbers of internal climate migrants of Bangladesh. He urged the CSOs to advocate for filling up existing gaps in policies so that urbanisation becomes inclusive, climate resilient and contributes to mitigation.

The seminar unveiled research findings, presented by CPRD Research and Advocacy Officer Naznin Sultana and Research Assistant Elmee Tabassum, offering insights into the current state of climate-resilient urban development in Bangladesh, focusing on the crucial thematic areas of mitigation, adaptation, and inclusiveness.

The policy research findings shared in the seminar was intended to identify the status quo of climate-resilient urban development in Bangladesh through three thematic lenses- Mitigation, Adaptation, Inclusiveness. Intensive scrutinising of policy literature revealed that although there are numerous existing policies, implementation of which is inhibited by myriads of challenges.

The study findings suggested some key recommendations and scope of CSOs advocacy which through a collaborative effort by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) can be carried forward to address pivotal challenges and enhance climate-resilient urban development in Bangladesh.

The seminar underscored the imperative need to bridge the research and data gap in urban climate change resilience through the adoption of tools like the City Resilience Index and Climate Resilience Measurement for Community.

The recommendations also highlight strategies for mitigating budgetary constraints in municipalities, advocating for pro-poor support, promoting inter-ministerial coordination, and fostering community participation in planning processes. Moreover, the seminar emphasised the urgent exploration and fortification of secondary urban towns to alleviate the burden on megacities and facilitate a sustainable and resilient urban future in Bangladesh.

The event also featured distinguished discussants such as Partha Hefaz Shaikh, director of policy and advocacy at WaterAid Bangladesh; Mohammad Zobair Hasan, deputy executive director at DORP; Prof Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, chairman of Department of ENV at Stamford University among others.