Dhaka's informal settlements: Redefining urban planning for an inclusive future
Unless urban planning in Dhaka meets the needs of its most vulnerable citizens, the city will face an intensifying social and environmental disaster, worsening the situation
Dhaka is one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world, where skyscrapers overshadow fleeting homes, and informal settlements remain a critical problem. The city accommodates around 10.2 million people, of which almost four million reside in slums or squatter settlements. Even though often overlooked as an eyesore, these settlements are crucial to Dhaka's economic and social fabric. However, informal settlements are being grossly neglected in urban planning in Dhaka, leading to a crisis that needs more attention.
The proliferation of informal settlements is driven by rapid urbanization. The city's population has surged to more than 22 million, mainly due to people migrating to the city for better economic prospects. Due to the scarcity of affordable housing, countless individuals have resorted to residing in slum areas such as Kamrangir Chor, Korail, Duaripara, and Lalbagh.
Many factors are responsible for this surge, including uncontrolled land use, economic disparity, poor housing policies, and weak governance. According to BBS (2018), the informal economy accounts for 78.2% of Dhaka city's employment, contributing to Dhaka's burgeoning informal settlements.
Informal settlements beget complex challenges for the city and its dwellers. Korail slums, one of the prominent slums of Dhaka, illegal gas lines, unhygienic sanitation, lack of pure drinking water, and poor drainage systems exacerbate the health risks of more than 50,000 inhabitants. The challenges propagate beyond health implications. It extends to pressure on environments, increases social inequality, fuels crime, results in urban sprawl, and limits public services.
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The only possible way to transform these informal settlements is to incorporate sustainable urban planning, though the planners have neglected its realities as of today. Collaboration between the government and private sectors, community engagement, and the inclusion of other stakeholders are a must to address the crisis.
Though the recent Detailed Area Plan (DAP) introduced some guidelines for affordable housing, it has limitations. DAP will undoubtedly be fruitful for land use zoning within RAJUK, but the lack of proper planning for informal settlements makes it ineffective.
Policies are often designed to clear and exclude them rather than make plans to integrate them into the urban fabric. Eviction of slums without making any sustainable plan for them cannot be a prudent approach. It is considered an inhumane act, leaving thousands of people homeless.
One possible initiative could be slum upgrading programs. Instead of evicting residents, these programs seek to upgrade slums by upgrading transport and road networks, sanitation and drainage, and access to health and education. Community-led initiatives achieved improved roads and communal toilets in the Korail slum—to better living conditions without requiring displacement. Such programs not only improve the quality of life by providing essential services within the slum but also integrate informal settlements into the broader urban fabric.
Incorporating informal settlements into the formal settlement process within the city can be a significant strategy. It means acknowledging informal settlements as a legitimate part of the urban fabric and engaging them in taking part in decision-making. Participatory urban planning is compulsory, enabling residents to make decisions to ensure the solutions are meaningful and sustainable.
Affordable housing is another critical solution. The government should consider building low-cost housing facilities. The National Housing Authority, or NHA, has already built flats for slum dwellers in the capital. Many people are not keen to move to new shiny buildings because they have to pay rent, utility bills, and service charges. Mumbai, a rapidly urbanised city, has demonstrated successful slum rehabilitation programs. Similar models could be implemented in Dhaka to make cheap, secure, and safe accommodations available for the slum residents.
Informal settlement in Dhaka demonstrates the city's urban planning challenges. While these challenges portray the failures of urban planning, they also provide an opportunity to rethink. The future of Dhaka depends on how it embraces inclusivity and considers its slum dwellers not as an overhead to be eradicated but as fellow citizens to empower.
Unless urban planning in Dhaka meets the needs of its most vulnerable citizens, the city will face an intensifying social and environmental disaster, worsening the situation. Yet, with careful and inclusive urban planning, Dhaka can turn its informal settlements into vibrant, resilient neighbourhoods that create a more equitable and sustainable future.
Zia Mohammad Nazim Uddin completed his bachelor's in Geography and Environment and Master's in Urban and Regional Planning at Dhaka University
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
