Dhaka among eight megacities facing harshest challenges

Dhaka is among the eight worst megacities facing the harshest challenges that will remain high in 2050, according to a new global study.

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) published the study report titled “Ecological Threat Report 2022” on Wednesday. The report also pointed out Dhaka’s poor infrastructure, living conditions, population density, crimes, and food insecurity.

Currently, Dhaka’s population is 26.6 million, which will reach 34.6 million in 2050, a 54 per cent increase. It is the most densely populated city in the world. Around 29,000 people live per square kilometre, said the report.

This high density, combined with rapid urbanisation, means a third of the city’s population cannot rely on piped water. As Dhaka is low-lying, it may be affected by sea level rises while also coping with infrastructure problems, particularly in transport, water, waste and energy, according to the report.

Adil Mohammed Khan, former general secretary of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, told The Business Post Dhaka is not a healthy city considering both environment and infrastructure.

He said it is one of the most polluted cities in terms of air pollution.

“Moreover, its infrastructure is inadequate and unplanned while plastic pollution creates waterlogging during the rainy season.”

The urban planner said Dhaka is getting hotter day by day with decreasing green space and free space while urban facilities for dwellers are also absent.

Dhaka struggles to provide good living conditions for its residents due to its inability to deal with waste. The city generates approximately 5,000 tonnes of waste a day, but only half is properly collected and disposed of, according to the IEP report.

It said the city generates around one-fifth of Bangladesh’s total economic output and provides more than 40 per cent of its formal sector jobs.

Moreover, the report said there is a persistent flow of people in Dhaka, where 1,500 to 2,000 people migrate daily. But the infrastructure and employment opportunities to accommodate them are not present.

Adil said there is no way to keep Dhaka liveable, except for decentralisation. He said agencies and institutions providing different government services should be relocated to other cities and more economic hubs should be created so that people could migrate elsewhere.

“This would make Dhaka less populated. Besides, the authorities should take initiatives to restore green space, parks, and waterbodies in Dhaka immediately,” he added.

The IEP report said many Dhaka residents end up in informal settlements, with the Korail slum growing from 40,000 inhabitants in 2011 to around 1.5 lakh in 2021. The city is impacted by regular floods, which are only likely to increase.

Furthermore, the report said the projected high population growth, over 53 per cent, combined with other factors, including high levels of air pollution, poor sanitation, high homicide rates, and substantial ecological threats, will keep the challenges high in 2050.

By 2050, 70 per cent of the world’s population will live in cities, up from 54 per cent in 2020.