Urban experts opine that unless there is an inclusive urbanisation policy and strong political commitment, it will be very difficult for Bangladesh to make its cities sustainable by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) amid rapid urban population growth in the country. They said Bangladesh needs to go for rapid decentralisation, reducing internal migration with a special focus on the growth of all the cities and towns of the country with socioeconomic opportunities to attain the 11th goal of the global agenda.
The experts further say, besides, coordination among different government bodies and strong city governance are also vital to ensure the better use and management of the country's urban spaces. They also suggested taking steps to reduce the overburdened urban population from mega city Dhaka through planned decentralisation and developing the country's other cities and towns with civic amenities and job opportunities. The country's urban experts maintain that attaining the goal of sustainable cities will be very difficult for Bangladesh as its most cities and towns have developed in an unplanned way. We must carry out all the city development activities under well-thought-out plans with a strong commitment to make our cities and towns livable and sustainable, they observed.
The country's urban population is growing fast due to huge migration to urban areas from rural areas. The government must focus on rural development to check the growing migration to cities, mainly to Dhaka and Chittagong. The urban expert suggested developing divisional cities, district and upazila towns with enhancing economic opportunities and incentives. Experts say the government's plan to set up 100 special economic zones at different parts of the country will be very effective to reduce internal migration as it will create jobs for thousands of workers in those areas. The government will have to give incentives for district and upazila towns with economic and social investment plans like setting up batter educational institutions, including colleges and universities, good hospitals and better healthcare services.
SPECIAL FOCUS ON DHAKA: Experts say a special focus needs to be given on Dhaka as it is an unplanned city with a population of 17 million. According to the UN projection, Dhaka City's population may shoot up to about 23 to 25 million by 2030. Therefore, a "de-concentrate Dhaka policy" is necessary to make the city livable, manageable and sustainable. It means a portion of Dhaka's population should be shifted to its adjacent areas by developing new and satellite towns like Purbachal and Jhilmil ones with civic amenities. Besides, more investment is necessary to develop the existing towns throughout the country especially near Dhaka like Munishiganj, Narsingdi, Manikganj, Gazipur, Comilla and Tangail by shifting factories and offices there and creating new economic opportunities there. Quick implementation of Dhaka's master plan is also essential and urgent.
Furthermore Bangladesh needs to focus on ensuring sustainable transport, housing, water supply, utility services, sanitation, environment and infrastructure and building to make the cities countrywide sustainable. The government should invest and provide incentives for ensuring jobs and increasing civic amenities in the cities countrywide outside Dhaka. It is very difficult for an over populated low developed country like Bangladesh to make its urban spaces sustainable within 2030. It will take time, but the government needs to put in its all efforts to achieve the goal by the stipulated time.
INCLUSIVE URBAN POLICY: Talking to media, a professor of Urban & Regional Planning (URP) Department at BUET, said though there are many national polices in Bangladesh, the country is yet to adopt a national urban policy for ensuring sustainable urbanisation. An inclusive urban policy, necessary rules and regulations and law, proper planning, and actions, decentralisation, distribution of resources, effective urban governance and development of other small, medium and big cities and towns are crucial to ensure sustainable cities. He said a group of urban experts had prepared a policy paper titled 'Bangladesh Urban Policy' in 2006 for ensuring proper and sustainable urbanisation, but the government is yet to adopt the policy.
Apart from policy and planning the government must focus now on how it will build the institutions, enhance administrative capacity, ensure coordination among government bodies, develop roads, ensure safety, resolve water and sanitation and accommodation problems, enhance greenery and empower city corporations and municipalities. The experts think decentralisation of important offices, business institutions, including RMG factories, educational institutions and proper resource distribution are necessary to deal with the existing major city problems. The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said Bangladesh's majority people will live in cities and towns after 25 to 30 years. So, the target of ensuring sustainable cities is important for us from the perspective of economic, social and environmental integration.
As regards the country's Capital Dhaka City the latest plan of the two city corporations to keep the city clean does not seem to be any better than its predecessor. The installing of trash bins programme to make the megacity of Dhaka a clean one has become a super flop just within one year. Virtually, any "keep city clean" project without necessary precautionary measures for its viability is bound to be a preposterously absurd one. As is already known, the minimum civic sense is a rare thing found among our citizens the countrywide. Forgetting their obligations to keep the city clean they litter the garbage here, there, everywhere and wherever they like. Unless they are imbibed with a strong sense of cleanliness it will be a futile exercise to have a mega propositions for city's facelift any where in the country.
Slipshod maintenance by the Dhaka City corporations is no less responsible for the fiasco of the project here. Last year the two city corporations installed some 6700 waste bins spending Taka 52 million to improve the city's waste management; each bin costs from Taka 6400 to Taka 12000. Of the bins 1000 were installed by the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) while 5700 in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) areas. Now most of the trash bins have either been stolen or damaged beyond repair with only the iron stands left there. The pavements are getting dirty as before, because the pedestrians are found less interested to drop litters into bins as those are not cleaned up regularly by the scavenging staff of the city corporations. The efforts of the two city corporations have, therefore, gone in vain. It was, therefore, sheer wastage of public exchequer here as elsewhere in the country.
It is, however, good that the DNCC is conducting a campaign to raise awareness of the city dwellers to use the bins and keep vigil so that no one can remove them. We live in the hope that someday we will see a clean megacity Dhaka and other cities and towns elsewhere in the country.
The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS General Education Cadre.
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