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From the beginning of summer this year, a sizzling record-breaking heat wave grabbed the attention of all. Indoors, outdoors - it was impossible to miss or to avoid. It even grasped the attention of the international media because Bangladesh is known worldwide for its temperate climate and this heat wave was a highly unusual occurrence. Amid the sizzling summer heat, with temperatures soaring from 40°C to 43°C in various parts of the country, problems are especially acute in densely populated Dhaka. The bustling capital, home to approximately 22.4 million residents, has grappled with heat island effects throughout April.
A recent study of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BRCS) reveals about 90 per cent of the city including planned residential areas like Uttara, Mirpur, and Dhanmondi suffered from heat island effect - a phenomenon in which a city experiences higher temperatures than its outlying suburban or rural areas. No doubt, the rise in temperature has a direct bearing on climate change triggered by global warming. Aside from that, however, a host of factors such as high population density, vanishing greenery and wetlands, and the overwhelming presence of high-rise concrete structures that maintain heat, among others, are responsible for further heating up the urban environment.
In Bangladesh, development is typically measured by the proliferation of tangible infrastructures such as roads, bridges, flyovers, skyscrapers and such. Amidst this infrastructure boom, however, the importance of nurturing a pristine environment adorned with verdant landscapes is often overlooked. Consequently, while the city skyline is dotted with towering skyscrapers, the quality of life within the city is steadily declining.
Throughout the year, residents of Dhaka face a myriad of civic nuisances. In the sweltering summer months, Dhaka transforms into a heat island, taking a heavy toll on public health, labour productivity and the economy. Monsoon season brings its own set of woes, with waterlogged and pothole-ridden roads bringing the city to a standstill. Furthermore, the onset of winter brings a surge in air pollution, shrouding the city in a thick haze of smog. It is because of the manifestation of one adversity after another in each season, compounded by the perennial issue of traffic congestion, outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases and overburdened utility services, Dhaka is rapidly becoming a mess and increasingly uninhabitable.
Runaway population growth in the city is putting tremendous pressure on its open spaces and wetlands. Parks, fields, and open spaces have disappeared or are disappearing. We are left with fewer playgrounds. Water bodies disappeared long ago. And now even the rivers are falling into decay due to pollution and encroachment. Apparently, it never dawned on the decision-makers that disappearance of greeneries and wetlands would have a disastrous impact on the environment of the city. Only some experts and environmentalists opposed this suicidal tendency of pursuing 'development' at the cost of environment.
Ideally, a city should have at least 15 per cent green space and 10-12 per cent wetlands. But a study by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) found that green space in central Dhaka has shrunk to a mere 7.09 per cent, while wet land covers a meager 2.9 per cent of the city's area. That being so, effective measures must be taken with urgency to ensure properly planned urbanisation. Strict monitoring and vigilance of RAJUK and city corporations is a must to stop unplanned and haphazard development. Development without proper planning is counterintuitive. No development project should be implemented that harms the environment unless we want to expose ourselves to environmental degradation. Only a harmonious relationship between urbanisation and nature can make cities livable and sustainable.