UNB, Dhaka :Dhaka needs a huge Tk 2.7-billion investment in storm water drainage pumps, drainage pipe clearing and other measures to reduce water-logging in its every ward within 12 hours, says a new World Bank study.In addition to improvement in the drainage infrastructure proposed in Dhaka’s Detailed Area Plan and Sewerage Master Plan and Narayanganj City Corporation’s Concept Vision Plan, the study says, the capital Dhaka needs climate-smart policies and higher investment to improve its resilience to intense rainfall and prepare for climate change.It predicts that the incremental cost of adaptation for Dhaka to climate change by 2050 will be about Tk 1.3 billion. The new study report ‘Climate and Disaster Resilience of Greater Dhaka Area: A Micro Level Analysis’ and a book titled, ‘Urban Flooding of Greater Dhaka in a Changing Climate: Building Local Resilience to Disaster Risk’ were released here on Monday.Funded by Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF), a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, the study covered Eastern Dhaka, Goranchatbari, Kalyanpur, Central Dhaka, Old Dhaka, DND and Narayanganj, according to a World Bank press release.Lead environmental economist and coauthor of the report Susmita Dasgupta said enhancing disaster resilience of a mega city like Dhaka, and especially preparing the city for unfolding climate-related risks is a daunting task. The city authorities could start with addressing the existing deficits in infrastructure in dealing with historic intense rainfall events, he said, closing the gap in infrastructure to meet historic climate-related risks will provide a foundation to build additional measures to mitigate climate risks in Dhaka.Floods and waterlogging in Dhaka regularly disrupt lives and livelihoods of the city dwellers and most adversely affect the fringe areas and slums. With more frequent and intense rainfall, climate change is likely to further aggravate flooding and waterlogging in the coming decades.The study calculated potential damages from waterlogging between 2014 and 2050 will be Tk 110 billion in Dhaka, if climate change is not considered. In a changing climate with more intense rainfalls, the loss will be Tk 139 billion between 2014 and 2050.
