Md. Shairul Mashreque and Dr. M Abul Kashem Mozumder
Urbanization is taking place in a rapid stride. Beautification of cities with wide roads, footpaths, flyover and high-rise buildings are going on. This trend in urbanization has become a global phenomenon. At times urban life has become hazardous with scores of problems. So, urban development is not resilient. Goal 11 of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) says, ‘makes cities and human settlement inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The University of Hong Kong defined desired way of urbanization as:
The impact of growth on all areas of society must be acknowledged. Sustainable growth requires an evolution in the way urban areas carry out their activities such as resource use and the movement of people and goods. The physical infrastructure in addition to social and economic processes must evolve to acknowledge the challenges of growth. Sustainable development has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. However, sustainable urban development implies a process by which sustainability can be attained, emphasising improvement, progress and positive change, incorporating both environmental and social dimensions. Sustainable urban development highlights the need for reform of market mechanisms to achieve environmental goals and the achievement of a balance with social and economic considerations. Several themes common to all definitions of sustainable urban development have emerged such as a change in the quality of growth, the conservation and minimisation of the depletion of non-renewable resources, a merging of economic decisions with those on the environment, a strong consideration of the needs of future generations.
“By the year 2000, half the world’s people will be living in cities. The urbanization of society is part of the Cities should be healthy, providing housing and employment opportunities, meet environmental standards and be sustainable. Sustainability needs to be a addressed on a global scale, reforms need to concentrate on the interaction of the urban environment with the global economy and environment. Major development agencies such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme undertake significant work on urban development, however, little research on urban sustainability has been conducted in Asia. Asia has almost 45% of the world’s population and six of the world’s largest cities and cannot allow research to lag behind Europe.
Developmental trends at the urban level are rather non-ecological contributing much to the havoc created by climate change. Man-environment interface in Dhaka, Chittagong and other major urban areas in the wake of misdirected urban development seriously impair ecology. It has become a matter of concern to the urban planners. City environment has worsened i in the wake of unplanned urbanization. There is hardly any marked development over the years. The authorities are spending lavishly mostly in unproductive sectors without producing any commensurate results. But there is rampant corruption and blame game to account much for fuzzy urban governance.
Environmental degradation stems from rural-urban migration from villages and small market towns with rural characteristics to the metropolitan urban centers full of development activities. All such development activities centering on urbanization come in disharmony with ecological factors leading to ‘gradual degradation of life-support systems including air, water and land’. Enormous population pressure in the core of the city even downtowns aggravates situation.
Recently urban development research obviously aims at environmental issues. As a matter of fact there is a thrust on the impact of unplanned urbanization on city environment. Admittedly major urban areas in Bangladesh are the seats of the forces of civilization. Dhaka is the capital as well as district and divisional headquarters. The total population of the city is13 million. Dhaka is a ‘historic city’ with a legendary past ‘running into hundreds of years.’ It possesses a distinct ‘cultural identity’. It is the seat of central government growing up as a politico-administrative centre with the preponderance of political and bureaucratic influences. The city has gradually turned into a hub of cultural and commercial activities. A lot of educational institutions scattered here and there represent one of the marked patterns of its contemporary phase of urbanization.
To quote a writer
Dhaka is connected to the other parts of the country through highway and railway links. Five of the eight major national highways of Bangladesh start from the city. They are- N1, N2, N3, N5 and N8. Dhaka is also directly connected to two longest routes of Asian Highway Network- AH1 and AH2, as well as to AH41 route. Highway links to the Indian cities of Kolkata, Agartala, Guwahati and Shillong have been established by the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and private bus companies which also run regular international bus services to those cities from Dhaka. An elevated expressway system is under construction.[131] The Dhaka Elevated Expressway would run from Shahjalal International Airport-Kuril-Banani-Mohakhali-Tejgaon-Saatrasta-Moghbazar Rail Crossing-Khilgaon-Kamalapur-Golapbagh to Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at Kutubkhali Point. A longer second elevated expressway from Airport-Ashulia is currently undergoing feasibility study. There are 3 inter-district bus terminals in Dhaka, which are located at Mohakhali, Saidabad and Gabtoli area of the city.
Dhaka suffers some of the worst traffic congestion in the world. The city lacks an organized public transport system. Construction of MRT and a BRT is currently going on to solve the problem. Cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws are the main mode of transport within metro area, with close to 400,000 rickshaws running each day: the highest number in any city in the world. However, only about 85,000 rickshaws are licensed by the city government. Relatively low-cost and non-polluting cycle rickshaws, nevertheless, cause traffic congestion and have been banned from many parts of the city. The government has overseen the replacement of two-stroke engine auto rickshaws with “Green auto-rickshaws” locally called CNG auto-rickshaw or Baby-taxi, which run on compressed natural gas.
Public buses are operated by the state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and by numerous private companies and operators. Ride-sharing services like Uber and Pathao, Scooters, taxis and privately owned cars are rapidly becoming popular with the city’s growing middle class. Limited numbers of Taxis are available. It is planned to raise the total number of taxis to 18,000 gradually Uber has started mobile app based taxi service in the city, whereas few local companies operate motor-bike service. The Cabinet of Bangladesh has approved the draft of a guideline legalizing smartphone application-based ride-hailing services such as Uber and Pathao.
Dhaka represents a prototype of cosmopolitan urbanization with technological revolution in communication, ICT for illustration, and strikingly dynamic trends in mobility pattern. At times it is swamped with environmental hazards reflected in conflicting variables. All development management with input needs like water, gas, power and energy including the environmental attributes of land-use, drainage, solid and liquid wastes, air and adjoining sub-urbs, has turned out to become counterproductive increasing stress on environment.
Developmental trends in the city emphasizing environmental modifications are rather non-ecological. Man-environment interface in Dhaka in the wake of misdirected urban development that seriously impairs ecology has become a matter of concern for the urban planners.
Recently growth in and around Dhaka is extremely unplanned showing a high degree of congestion and overcrowding and malfunctioning of the traffic system. High-rise buildings are springing up . Many of such buildings tend to serve commercial purposes. Business activities are found in ‘greater or lesser degree all along the roads’ and pavements but ‘intensify at the cross-roads.’ The city exhibits a very high density ‘human population’ with inadequate space to live and much lesser road infrastructures to move. The rapidly growing urban population in Dhaka and its outskirts is enhancing environmental pollution posing ‘problems to human health and threatening the general quality of life’
Environmental degradation stems from rural-urban migration. Folks from villages and small market towns with rural characteristics flock to the metropolitan urban centers full of development activities. All such development activities centering on urbanization come in disharmony with ecological factors leading to ‘gradual degradation of life-support systems including air, water and land’. Enormous population pressure in the core of the city and even its sub-urbs aggravates situation.
Drainage is poor. Most drains remain chocked. Flooding and water logging during rainy season very much trouble the pedestrians. Rain water with waste accumulates; resultantly roads, lanes and by-lanes become the ‘polluted pools’.
Over the recent couple of decades urbanization in Dhaka has assumed ‘greater significance’ influencing ‘growth, distribution, density and structure of population.’ Even then there is no proper system of waste disposal. There is a generation of ‘organic pollution hazard’. The garbage spreads in heaps all over the filthy city points. Well maintained garbage disposal system is lacking. In many city-points some amount of solid waste is discharged into the drains or canals causing a great deal of pollution. Garbage disposal requires responsible urban governance which is supposed to take immediate action.
Dhaka is virtually seething with urban impact on its environment. Any time it may burst to the utter distress of its dwellers. So far we have failed in taking preventive measures. Now, should we fail, too, to take any curative measures?
Urbanization is taking place in a rapid stride. Beautification of cities with wide roads, footpaths, flyover and high-rise buildings are going on. This trend in urbanization has become a global phenomenon. At times urban life has become hazardous with scores of problems. So, urban development is not resilient. Goal 11 of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) says, ‘makes cities and human settlement inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The University of Hong Kong defined desired way of urbanization as:
The impact of growth on all areas of society must be acknowledged. Sustainable growth requires an evolution in the way urban areas carry out their activities such as resource use and the movement of people and goods. The physical infrastructure in addition to social and economic processes must evolve to acknowledge the challenges of growth. Sustainable development has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. However, sustainable urban development implies a process by which sustainability can be attained, emphasising improvement, progress and positive change, incorporating both environmental and social dimensions. Sustainable urban development highlights the need for reform of market mechanisms to achieve environmental goals and the achievement of a balance with social and economic considerations. Several themes common to all definitions of sustainable urban development have emerged such as a change in the quality of growth, the conservation and minimisation of the depletion of non-renewable resources, a merging of economic decisions with those on the environment, a strong consideration of the needs of future generations.
“By the year 2000, half the world’s people will be living in cities. The urbanization of society is part of the Cities should be healthy, providing housing and employment opportunities, meet environmental standards and be sustainable. Sustainability needs to be a addressed on a global scale, reforms need to concentrate on the interaction of the urban environment with the global economy and environment. Major development agencies such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme undertake significant work on urban development, however, little research on urban sustainability has been conducted in Asia. Asia has almost 45% of the world’s population and six of the world’s largest cities and cannot allow research to lag behind Europe.
Developmental trends at the urban level are rather non-ecological contributing much to the havoc created by climate change. Man-environment interface in Dhaka, Chittagong and other major urban areas in the wake of misdirected urban development seriously impair ecology. It has become a matter of concern to the urban planners. City environment has worsened i in the wake of unplanned urbanization. There is hardly any marked development over the years. The authorities are spending lavishly mostly in unproductive sectors without producing any commensurate results. But there is rampant corruption and blame game to account much for fuzzy urban governance.
Environmental degradation stems from rural-urban migration from villages and small market towns with rural characteristics to the metropolitan urban centers full of development activities. All such development activities centering on urbanization come in disharmony with ecological factors leading to ‘gradual degradation of life-support systems including air, water and land’. Enormous population pressure in the core of the city even downtowns aggravates situation.
Recently urban development research obviously aims at environmental issues. As a matter of fact there is a thrust on the impact of unplanned urbanization on city environment. Admittedly major urban areas in Bangladesh are the seats of the forces of civilization. Dhaka is the capital as well as district and divisional headquarters. The total population of the city is13 million. Dhaka is a ‘historic city’ with a legendary past ‘running into hundreds of years.’ It possesses a distinct ‘cultural identity’. It is the seat of central government growing up as a politico-administrative centre with the preponderance of political and bureaucratic influences. The city has gradually turned into a hub of cultural and commercial activities. A lot of educational institutions scattered here and there represent one of the marked patterns of its contemporary phase of urbanization.
To quote a writer
Dhaka is connected to the other parts of the country through highway and railway links. Five of the eight major national highways of Bangladesh start from the city. They are- N1, N2, N3, N5 and N8. Dhaka is also directly connected to two longest routes of Asian Highway Network- AH1 and AH2, as well as to AH41 route. Highway links to the Indian cities of Kolkata, Agartala, Guwahati and Shillong have been established by the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and private bus companies which also run regular international bus services to those cities from Dhaka. An elevated expressway system is under construction.[131] The Dhaka Elevated Expressway would run from Shahjalal International Airport-Kuril-Banani-Mohakhali-Tejgaon-Saatrasta-Moghbazar Rail Crossing-Khilgaon-Kamalapur-Golapbagh to Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at Kutubkhali Point. A longer second elevated expressway from Airport-Ashulia is currently undergoing feasibility study. There are 3 inter-district bus terminals in Dhaka, which are located at Mohakhali, Saidabad and Gabtoli area of the city.
Dhaka suffers some of the worst traffic congestion in the world. The city lacks an organized public transport system. Construction of MRT and a BRT is currently going on to solve the problem. Cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws are the main mode of transport within metro area, with close to 400,000 rickshaws running each day: the highest number in any city in the world. However, only about 85,000 rickshaws are licensed by the city government. Relatively low-cost and non-polluting cycle rickshaws, nevertheless, cause traffic congestion and have been banned from many parts of the city. The government has overseen the replacement of two-stroke engine auto rickshaws with “Green auto-rickshaws” locally called CNG auto-rickshaw or Baby-taxi, which run on compressed natural gas.
Public buses are operated by the state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and by numerous private companies and operators. Ride-sharing services like Uber and Pathao, Scooters, taxis and privately owned cars are rapidly becoming popular with the city’s growing middle class. Limited numbers of Taxis are available. It is planned to raise the total number of taxis to 18,000 gradually Uber has started mobile app based taxi service in the city, whereas few local companies operate motor-bike service. The Cabinet of Bangladesh has approved the draft of a guideline legalizing smartphone application-based ride-hailing services such as Uber and Pathao.
Dhaka represents a prototype of cosmopolitan urbanization with technological revolution in communication, ICT for illustration, and strikingly dynamic trends in mobility pattern. At times it is swamped with environmental hazards reflected in conflicting variables. All development management with input needs like water, gas, power and energy including the environmental attributes of land-use, drainage, solid and liquid wastes, air and adjoining sub-urbs, has turned out to become counterproductive increasing stress on environment.
Developmental trends in the city emphasizing environmental modifications are rather non-ecological. Man-environment interface in Dhaka in the wake of misdirected urban development that seriously impairs ecology has become a matter of concern for the urban planners.
Recently growth in and around Dhaka is extremely unplanned showing a high degree of congestion and overcrowding and malfunctioning of the traffic system. High-rise buildings are springing up . Many of such buildings tend to serve commercial purposes. Business activities are found in ‘greater or lesser degree all along the roads’ and pavements but ‘intensify at the cross-roads.’ The city exhibits a very high density ‘human population’ with inadequate space to live and much lesser road infrastructures to move. The rapidly growing urban population in Dhaka and its outskirts is enhancing environmental pollution posing ‘problems to human health and threatening the general quality of life’
Environmental degradation stems from rural-urban migration. Folks from villages and small market towns with rural characteristics flock to the metropolitan urban centers full of development activities. All such development activities centering on urbanization come in disharmony with ecological factors leading to ‘gradual degradation of life-support systems including air, water and land’. Enormous population pressure in the core of the city and even its sub-urbs aggravates situation.
Drainage is poor. Most drains remain chocked. Flooding and water logging during rainy season very much trouble the pedestrians. Rain water with waste accumulates; resultantly roads, lanes and by-lanes become the ‘polluted pools’.
Over the recent couple of decades urbanization in Dhaka has assumed ‘greater significance’ influencing ‘growth, distribution, density and structure of population.’ Even then there is no proper system of waste disposal. There is a generation of ‘organic pollution hazard’. The garbage spreads in heaps all over the filthy city points. Well maintained garbage disposal system is lacking. In many city-points some amount of solid waste is discharged into the drains or canals causing a great deal of pollution. Garbage disposal requires responsible urban governance which is supposed to take immediate action.
Dhaka is virtually seething with urban impact on its environment. Any time it may burst to the utter distress of its dwellers. So far we have failed in taking preventive measures. Now, should we fail, too, to take any curative measures?
(Md. Shairul Mashreque is a retired professor and Dr. M Abul Kashem Mozumder, Pro-VC, BUP)
