Dhaka has been ranked fourth among the 20 most unsustainable megacities in the world, according to a climate report published on Wednesday. Dhaka, a city of 22.6 million people, is affected by ecological changes in several ways. It floods regularly, it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and the city struggles to deal with waste, said the report titled "Ecological Threat Report (ETR)".
Because of rapid and poorly planned urbanisation, Dhaka is becoming more and more vulnerable to both natural and man-made hazards. Factors such as poor living standards, construction of infrastructures without consideration of safety measures, lack of public awareness of hazards, and poorly enforced building code are worsening the situation further. Living in this overcrowded jungle of concrete, it is horrifying to imagine how would this town survive if an intense earthquake takes place? Experts apprehend that a powerful earthquake can claim several thousands of lives and cause huge economic losses through damaging key infrastructures. Hence. Reinforcing urban governance has become very necessary on the part of the government and city planners. Also, multi-hazard approaches need to be implemented with a view to reducing risks that will make Bangladesh safer in the long-run.
Because of rapid and poorly
planned urbanisation, Dhaka is
becoming more and more
vulnerable to both natural
and man-made hazards
Pollution and environmental challenges have occupied our life and livelihood to a greater extent. Over the last years, air pollution has turned into a major public health concern in Bangladesh particularly in capital Dhaka and it has repeatedly been labelled as one of the 10 most polluted cities in the world. Hitherto we have not taken any consistent and prudent action to address air pollution in Bangladesh.
Improvements in energy efficiency, increased use of less-or non-polluting renewable sources of energy are examples of measures that will benefit both air quality and the climate. We hope the government will frame appropriate strategies, ensure good governance and strictly enforce laws to prevent environmental pollution.
Dhaka’s waste management system has seen no remarkable improvement over the past years. One does not need to be an expert to understand Dhaka’s poor waste management system that has been deteriorating the environment of this teeming capital over the years. Haphazard waste dumping under open sky is a contemptible image of Dhaka’s filthiness, and efficient waste management has been a challenging task for Dhaka City Corporation authorities. With increasing rate of population the waste generation rate of the capital is also increasing at a startling rate. In order to deal with the increasing waste generation rate, a strategic, holistic and sustainable waste management practice should be reinforced in no time.
