Climate change is increasing population pressure in Bangladesh’s cities
About 26 percent of people in coastal areas of Bangladesh are drinking highly saline water. Even water drawn from underground is increasing in salinity.
Coastal people in various classes have lost their jobs due to climate change, and professions are moving to the cities. Most of them have settled in the slums of the capital. Homeless people also suffer from a lack of safe food and drinking water.
The Center for Participatory Research and Development – CPRD organized a program where speakers recently provided this information at the Dhaka Reporters Unit.
The research results titled ‘Policy Scope and Gap: Climate Resilient Urban Development in Bangladesh’ were released then. The research paper was presented by the Research Assistant of CPRD, Elmi Tabassum.
The meeting was presided over by Mr. Shamchuddoha, Chief Executive of CPRD and Aminur Rasul, CEO of Unnayan Dhara Trust, Professor Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, Chairman of Stamford University Environmental Science Department, Research Officer of CPRD Shahanul Islam and journalist Nikhil Bhadra addressed the meeting.
According to the article, in 2021, about 39 percent of the country’s population lives in urban areas. Dhaka, Chattagram, and Khulna are among them. In 2018, about 55 of the country’s urban population lived in slums.
Five hundred sixteen urban center reservoirs nationwide have substandard water quality and lack proper drainage systems.
Households have severe problems with basic amenities, lack of waste management, and affordability. Twenty-eight percent of urban dwellers live in permanent buildings. The rest live semi-permanent and temporary.
Chief executive of CPRD Shamchuddoha said that due to climate change’s impact, people’s tendency to become urban centers has also increased. But coming to the city, they are deprived of civic facilities.
Therefore, in terms of development, emphasis should be placed on increasing facilities in grassroots and rural areas rather than in the cities.
