Sustainable urban development essential

In the five decades since independence, Bangladesh has seen phenomenal growth in urbanisation. The big cities have been transformed into sprawling metropolises. Even sleepy towns have seen major growths in terms of population and economic activities. The cities are growing both horizontally and vertically over the years. Even in Dhaka, there was no building above six stories at the time of independence. However, currently, all divisional headquarters have a good number of skyscrapers. The capital Dhaka (where 32 per cent of Bangladeshis urbanites live) reflects the trajectory of Bangladesh’s growth in the fifty years since 1971. At the time of independence, Dhaka was a relatively small city, albeit the capital of a fledgling nation, of a million people. In fifty years though it is a major economic hub and absorbs 20 million people living there.

Rapid urbanization is an indicator of the economic growth the country has undergone since its independence. Urbanisation drives economic growth and contributes significantly to the national economy. Urban Bangladesh generates more than 65 per cent of the national GDP, according to an UNDP data. According to a report published in this newspaper on Friday a meagre eight per cent of the population lived in urban areas. At present the percentage is nearly 40 per cent–a growth of around 5000 per cent–a remarkable development by any definition. According to a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data there are 570 urban centres –including 12 cities and 332 municipalities– in the country. Migration to these urban centres intensified since the 1990s when industrialisation began to gather pace. This trend has continued ever since and studies suggest that half the population of the country will end up living in urban areas by 2040.

Urbanisation in Bangladesh is happening quicker than most countries in the world. The outward pressure from the rural areas and the inward pull of the cities have worked behind the high rate of migration from rural to urban areas. People come to cities from villages in search of a better livelihood. Rural unemployment and underemployment are other major reasons for the rapid influx of people to urban centres. People also come to cities because of natural disasters, river erosion and other reasons.

Unfortunately, Bangladesh urbanization has been mostly unplanned. It is still uncoordinated and lacks a favourable policy framework. And unplanned urbanisation increases the sufferings of the citizens and slows the pace of development. Experts believe that urban growth should be properly managed, since haphazard growth can lead to serious risks to millions of people and the environment, which can never be properly fixed. Urban development should always be guided and planned, land use strictly controlled, and density of population pre-established, to fit the volume of infrastructure. The report citing experts suggest that if the government can ensure a balanced development in all urban areas including suburbs and exurbs, people might reap benefits of urban revolution which is a must in a contemporary society.

During the Pakistan era a mega plan for Dhaka was taken up by the authorities. Different governments also took up urbanization plans after independence, but these plans were never implemented completely. As a result, many major urban centres have turned into concrete jungles. The issue of whether the cities can meet the minimum needs migrating people has always been neglected. The majority of the urbanites suffer from the lack of infrastructural facilities necessary for sustainable development. The draft National Urban Policy aims for sustainable urbanisation, keeping the multi-dimensional nature of the urbanisation process in mind. Bangladesh needs decentralisation, good medical treatment in villages, good education and alternative livelihoods. If unplanned development continues, the urban centres of the country will become well-nigh unlivable.