Dr. ForqanUddin Ahmed :
Modern urban planning is said to be a technical and political process through which the proper use of land and a complete design of the civic environment can be formulated. These processes include air, water, urban infrastructure, transportation and service management. Healthy urban planning is another name for ensuring proper development of human settlement through urban planning. An ideal city plan starts with a health plan made primarily by experts for the benefit of city councils, functions or regional committees.Government and non-government organizations are working in all cities to contribute to the development of the city. The primary responsibility of healthy urban planning is to compile a list of projects of all these different organizations and to assess the overall health impact. Many projects under implementation are not enough compared to the total needs of the city. Only at the initial stage all the projects are experimental so only a very small part of the designated population enjoys the project benefits. Healthy urban planning can identify expansion projects by identifying such tests. If there is no opportunity for financing for expansion, the cooperation of international donors can be taken.
This huge population in the cities is putting tremendous pressure on the environment. Cities are no longer easily kept in a healthy environment. The quality of various types of urban services such as housing, transportation, drinking water and sewerage, waste management, etc. is gradually declining. City authorities are struggling to ensure basic civil rights, such as employment or health. As a result, the number of slums is increasing in big cities; urban life is ending in slum life.
Healthy urban activities of the World Health Organization (WHO) have been adopted as a way to get rid of such a bleak future. The role of city governments is also changing as globalization spreads and the size of cities increases. Central or national governments have limited capacity to solve urbanization problems. The problem of urbanization is a local problem. As a result, the responsibilities and powers of city governments are increasing. The responsibility of the city government is to address the problems of urbanization such as drinking water supply, sewerage, housing, entertainment, environmental pollution or waste disposal.
Healthy urban programs have been started in eight cities of Bangladesh including Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar. Chittagong is the second largest metropolitan city in the country. Its manpower, financial consistency, etc. are higher than many cities. Initially, it started with a city-wide plan, but now the health city program is mainly confined to the Jamal Khan ward. The main objective of this is to promote Jamal Khan Ward as a healthy ward first and later to bring other wards under its purview using the experience gained by the officers. Many programs have been taken up in Jamal Khan. These include better measures for waste disposal and active participation of the people in it, development of roads and sidewalks and conducting clean-up operations.
The main sequence of healthy urban program is the proper uses of the resources of cities or towns. Healthy urban programs therefore focus more on the selection and expansion of ongoing activities rather than the introduction of entirely new activities. At the same time new ideas are also welcomed. If local priorities can be addressed through the use of our own resources, then the next big problem can be addressed through development partners.
There is a strong discussion going on in the capital Dhaka about improving the environment. Recently, the government and the people have jointly set a groundbreaking example in the production and use of polythene and the closure of two-stroke scooters across the country. This success has made everyone hopeful and encouraging. Efforts and initiatives have been taken to stop black smoke from vehicles and eliminate tannery waste in the interest of conducting clean-up operations across the country. Again, a separate cleaning campaign is being run for Dhaka city. Such propaganda as ‘Prime Minister’s promise will be covered clean’ certainly inspires hope in the minds of common people. Where there is a promise from the Prime Minister himself, everyone must come forward to implement it.
This is a great opportunity in front of the newly elected mayors of Dhaka, which can be used to give a clean and beautiful city. Along with all the initiatives of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the commitment of the Prime Minister, the new initiative of the newly elected mayors to build a beautiful and healthy city – a healthy environment for a happy and beautiful life – gives everyone hope. If the environment is not good, people can easily get sick, clean environment brings fresh feeling in the mind. Cleanliness is the main part of faith. So it is the responsibility of all of us to keep our beloved capital Dhaka beautiful, healthy and clean. With such a commitment, the newly elected mayors can start the ‘Dhaka Healthy Urban Activities’ where there is ample opportunity to build good relations with all departments and coordinate development activities in the form of a metropolitan government. In Bangladesh, initiatives to create healthy cities and healthy environment in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar have been very successful. In the changed context, now is the real time to build a healthy city under the initiative of Dhaka City Corporation with the help of Public Health Implementation Agency to protect public health and uplift the environment.
Modern urban planning is said to be a technical and political process through which the proper use of land and a complete design of the civic environment can be formulated. These processes include air, water, urban infrastructure, transportation and service management. Healthy urban planning is another name for ensuring proper development of human settlement through urban planning. An ideal city plan starts with a health plan made primarily by experts for the benefit of city councils, functions or regional committees.Government and non-government organizations are working in all cities to contribute to the development of the city. The primary responsibility of healthy urban planning is to compile a list of projects of all these different organizations and to assess the overall health impact. Many projects under implementation are not enough compared to the total needs of the city. Only at the initial stage all the projects are experimental so only a very small part of the designated population enjoys the project benefits. Healthy urban planning can identify expansion projects by identifying such tests. If there is no opportunity for financing for expansion, the cooperation of international donors can be taken.
This huge population in the cities is putting tremendous pressure on the environment. Cities are no longer easily kept in a healthy environment. The quality of various types of urban services such as housing, transportation, drinking water and sewerage, waste management, etc. is gradually declining. City authorities are struggling to ensure basic civil rights, such as employment or health. As a result, the number of slums is increasing in big cities; urban life is ending in slum life.
Healthy urban activities of the World Health Organization (WHO) have been adopted as a way to get rid of such a bleak future. The role of city governments is also changing as globalization spreads and the size of cities increases. Central or national governments have limited capacity to solve urbanization problems. The problem of urbanization is a local problem. As a result, the responsibilities and powers of city governments are increasing. The responsibility of the city government is to address the problems of urbanization such as drinking water supply, sewerage, housing, entertainment, environmental pollution or waste disposal.
Healthy urban programs have been started in eight cities of Bangladesh including Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar. Chittagong is the second largest metropolitan city in the country. Its manpower, financial consistency, etc. are higher than many cities. Initially, it started with a city-wide plan, but now the health city program is mainly confined to the Jamal Khan ward. The main objective of this is to promote Jamal Khan Ward as a healthy ward first and later to bring other wards under its purview using the experience gained by the officers. Many programs have been taken up in Jamal Khan. These include better measures for waste disposal and active participation of the people in it, development of roads and sidewalks and conducting clean-up operations.
The main sequence of healthy urban program is the proper uses of the resources of cities or towns. Healthy urban programs therefore focus more on the selection and expansion of ongoing activities rather than the introduction of entirely new activities. At the same time new ideas are also welcomed. If local priorities can be addressed through the use of our own resources, then the next big problem can be addressed through development partners.
There is a strong discussion going on in the capital Dhaka about improving the environment. Recently, the government and the people have jointly set a groundbreaking example in the production and use of polythene and the closure of two-stroke scooters across the country. This success has made everyone hopeful and encouraging. Efforts and initiatives have been taken to stop black smoke from vehicles and eliminate tannery waste in the interest of conducting clean-up operations across the country. Again, a separate cleaning campaign is being run for Dhaka city. Such propaganda as ‘Prime Minister’s promise will be covered clean’ certainly inspires hope in the minds of common people. Where there is a promise from the Prime Minister himself, everyone must come forward to implement it.
This is a great opportunity in front of the newly elected mayors of Dhaka, which can be used to give a clean and beautiful city. Along with all the initiatives of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the commitment of the Prime Minister, the new initiative of the newly elected mayors to build a beautiful and healthy city – a healthy environment for a happy and beautiful life – gives everyone hope. If the environment is not good, people can easily get sick, clean environment brings fresh feeling in the mind. Cleanliness is the main part of faith. So it is the responsibility of all of us to keep our beloved capital Dhaka beautiful, healthy and clean. With such a commitment, the newly elected mayors can start the ‘Dhaka Healthy Urban Activities’ where there is ample opportunity to build good relations with all departments and coordinate development activities in the form of a metropolitan government. In Bangladesh, initiatives to create healthy cities and healthy environment in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar have been very successful. In the changed context, now is the real time to build a healthy city under the initiative of Dhaka City Corporation with the help of Public Health Implementation Agency to protect public health and uplift the environment.
(Dr. Forqan is former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar&VDP)
