German Ambassador in Dhaka Dr Thomas Prinz on Thursday said Dhaka is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and a sophisticated and long-term urban planning that relies on reliable data is essential to manage the inflow of people into Bangladesh’s metropolis.
“Urbanization is one of the megatrends of this century. More and more people are moving to cities searching for job opportunities or adjusting to the impacts of climate change in rural Bangladesh,” he said.
The diplomat made the remarks while visiting the Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) in the city.
Thomas Prinz said he is particularly happy that the GSB is partnering up with experts from Germany in the promising project.
The institution conducts systematic geological mapping and geoscientific activities throughout the country. The organization is supported by German development cooperation funds that are provided by BGR, the German Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources.
By conducting a joint project, the two institutions cooperate on gathering, increasing and improving the available geological data that is necessary for urban planning in Bangladesh.
During his BSB visit, Prinz toured the premises of the organization, and was briefed about its history, mandate and facilities. He also visited geotechnical drillings in Aftabnaggar.
The joint German-Bangladeshi project “Geo-Information for Urban Planning” was kicked off in 2013 and will be finalized in 2016.
So far, the geoscientific sub-ground conditions in Bangladesh have been analyzed in order to improve the capacity of GSB and urban planners. The team is working on an ‘Infrastructure suitability Map’ of Greater Dhaka that will facilitate the work of urban planners and help managing the great challenge to transform the capital of Bangladesh into a more sustainable, accessible and livable city. Strengthening the resilience of local government bodies and fostering its capabilities to cope with a changing environment due to climate change will remain a priority for German Development Cooperation.
