Transforming Dhaka is impossible without strong leadership

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: If things continue this way, the situation will only deteriorate further in the years ahead. However, as a conscientious citizen and an urban planner, I want to remain optimistic.

If we correctly identify the existing problems and take appropriate, effective measures to address them, the situation can improve. But if we remain inactive and continue to ignore these identified problems, there is no doubt that this will develop into a devastating disaster in the future.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: To understand the actual causes of waterlogging, we need to understand the natural processes at work. Rain is a blessing from Almighty Allah and a gift of nature. Human beings, all living organisms, plants, the overall ecosystem, and our agricultural system all depend on this rainfall. But this blessing has now turned into a curse. The main reason is that we have disrupted the natural flow of the water cycle.

When rain falls on the ground, two main things happen. First, a large portion of the rainwater enters the soil or is absorbed by it, which in scientific terms is called infiltration. Second, after plants and the soil have absorbed what they need, the remaining excess water flows through lower-lying areas into wetlands, canals, or rivers. However, in the name of urbanisation, we have covered most of Dhaka’s surface with concrete. As a result, rainwater no longer has a way to seep into the ground. The water that previously filtered underground now accumulates on the surface, causing waterlogging.

We have also destroyed the natural water bodies and flood-flow zones inside and around the city. Large private housing projects such as Bashundhara and Modhumoti Model Town have largely been built on low-lying wetlands where rainwater once accumulated naturally. Then there is the shrinking of the canal and drainage systems.

Dhaka city once had 56 canals. When the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) transferred responsibility to the city corporations at the end of 2020, only 26 canals remained on official records. Now, even those 26 canals are difficult to locate. The ones that still exist have also been encroached upon according to the official mouza maps.

The condition of the drains is also deplorable; in many places, there is no connection at all between the drains and the canals. On top of this, we have poor waste management. All kinds of garbage and plastic waste end up in the drains, causing them to lose their functionality.

Even if the drainage system works properly, the ultimate outlets for water disposal are the Buriganga, Balu, and Turag rivers. Because of tidal fluctuations, the water levels in these rivers are often higher than the levels of the canals. As a result, when it rains, instead of flowing from the canals into the rivers, the water flows back and floods the city.y

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: Although the responsibility was given to the city corporations, they were not provided with the necessary technical capacity, expert manpower, or adequate budgetary allocation to carry out the work properly. The city corporations already struggle to manage their regular responsibilities. On top of that, they were burdened with this massive task without any proper preparation.

Secondly, water drainage is not simply a matter of constructing drains or sewers. It is an integrated system. Water from drains must flow into canals, and from canals, it must be pumped into rivers.

Now, if the drains are under the authority of the city corporations, while the outlets of the canals or the navigability of rivers are the responsibility of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), then even if one party performs its duties, the entire process risks collapsing due to the inaction of another party. Moreover, RAJUK is responsible for regulating land use in the city and approving building construction. If RAJUK allows housing projects by filling up water bodies or water-retention areas in violation of the master plan, then even if the city corporations build thousands of drains, they will not be able to reduce waterlogging.

Essentially, the professional coordination that should have existed among RAJUK, the city corporations, and the BWDB is largely absent. Private real estate companies are also part of this equation. Due to the lack of coordination among these many institutions, and because each has avoided taking responsibility, the entire system has now turned into a complete mess.You mentioned concrete. There are specific ratios for concrete use under the building regulations. Why are those not being followed?

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: This is a deep-rooted problem of our collective mindset and psychology. In our country, “paving over” something is often seen as development. Over the past few decades, a self-destructive competition has emerged to cover everything from cities to villages with brickwork, concrete, or tiles. Even in the name of beautifying parks, concrete is being laid instead of grass. We need to build a social movement around changing this mindset and perception.

When RAJUK approves the design of a building, there is a requirement to maintain a certain amount of open space or exposed soil. But there is no one properly monitoring whether these conditions are actually being followed. If, alongside supervision, there were proper penalties for those who violate the law, such situations would not occur. Modern urban planning has many technological solutions for directing rainwater into the ground, but our designers and building owners are not at all aware of these options.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: Certainly, it is possible. At present, the roof or plot of every building in Dhaka acts as a concrete barrier. The largest amount of rainwater accumulates on building rooftops. If, during the approval of new buildings, the construction of detention tanks or reservoirs of a specified capacity for collecting rainwater is made mandatory, it would be possible to reduce pressure on the drainage system by at least 30 per cent.

The German city Berlin can be cited as an example. There, if building owners can retain rainwater in detention tanks within their own plots or direct it into underground reservoirs, they receive reductions in their taxes or charges. On the other hand, those who release all rainwater directly into drains and increase pressure on the system have to pay additional taxes.

If we use rainwater stored in buildings for cleaning toilets, rooftop gardening, washing cars, or other household purposes, it will also reduce pressure on the water supplied by WASA. Even if the water is not used, releasing it gradually from reservoirs reduces pressure on the drainage system. This is a two-way solution. Considering Dhaka’s circumstances, this rule should be implemented immediately for new buildings.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: DAP is a long-term and scientific plan. It provides a comprehensive framework for land-use patterns, population density, and infrastructure development. In particular, it clearly emphasises the importance of protecting water bodies or the “blue network” and preserving retention areas, meaning spaces for holding water. However, its main weakness is inconsistency in implementation.

Unfortunately, many development activities under RAJUK’s jurisdiction are not carried out in accordance with DAP’s proposals. Moreover, even during major government projects, such as the construction of expressways or metro rail systems, the DAP master plan is often not taken into consideration.

Various departments under different ministries undertake and implement projects according to their own priorities. This contradictory relationship between planning and implementation is one of DAP’s major failures. Furthermore, after DAP was approved, there has been no independent review or audit of how much of it has actually been implemented over the past five years. The DAP plan has largely remained confined to official files.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: This debate has largely emerged from attempts to protect the interests of certain real estate business groups. The capacity or carrying capacity of every area of a city is not the same. The road widths and civic amenities of areas like Gulshan or Motijheel cannot in any way be compared with those of Badda or Kamrangirchar. Therefore, allowing buildings of the same height on all plots across the city would be unscientific and self-destructive.

If we allow 20-storey buildings in areas that lack adequate roads, have weak drainage systems, and do not have sufficient schools, colleges, or playgrounds, the quality of life in those areas will be destroyed. Real estate developers want to construct high-rise buildings everywhere to maximize profits. In DAP, area-specific building heights have been determined through scientific data analysis and based on the carrying capacity of each area. This is highly logical, and violating it would push Dhaka to the extreme point of becoming unfit for living.

However, since DAP’s plan needs to be updated every five years, if an assessment of newly developed infrastructure in a particular area during that period creates a valid basis for changing the FAR, such adjustments can be considered.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: For this, we need a comprehensive spatial planning framework. Urban planning cannot be confined only to administrative boundaries. Rainwater does not recognize such boundaries; it follows its natural slope and seeks to flow into rivers. In many cases, even union parishads outside city corporation areas are approving large buildings, which are being constructed by encroaching on drainage systems or water bodies.

To address waterlogging and unplanned urbanisation, there is no alternative to preparing and implementing integrated spatial master plans at three levels, national, regional, and local, so that every inch of land in the country comes under proper planning.

Everything from building construction to drainage, roads, canals, reservoirs, and other infrastructure development must be carried out in accordance with this plan. Our proposal is that effective institutions should be established at the union, upazila, and district levels to prepare and implement master plans. Strict monitoring is needed in rural and semi-urban areas to ensure that wetlands are not filled up for the construction of unplanned roads or buildings.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: There is a fundamental problem with our approach to canal restoration. In many cases, these campaigns are conducted merely as publicity exercises or to gain cheap popularity. The most important task after recovering a canal is to stop the dumping of sewage and household waste into it. The sewage management lines of our city are directly connected to the canals. As a result, the water in the canals has now become pitch black and filled with foul odour. Instead of calling it a “blue network,” we could call it a “black network.”

To make canals sustainable, we must involve the public. In South Korea and other countries, after canals were restored, walking paths, green spaces, and recreational facilities were developed along their banks. When a canal becomes a place used by the public, ordinary people themselves become its protectors. By involving the private sector and creating environmentally friendly cafés or tourism facilities, it would also be possible to generate regular income that could cover the cost of maintaining the canals. This can be done through a partnership model with government authorities.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: The first requirement is visionary and strong political leadership. Although Dhaka was divided into two city corporations for political reasons, is it possible to divide a single city’s drainage system, canal network, or waterlogging problems into two parts? The entire system is an integrated network. Therefore, a sustainable solution to this problem is not possible through fragmented institutional approaches. Our priority must be to preserve the city’s livability, not to rehabilitate political party leaders through projects or positions.

Secondly, we must make maximum use of the latest technologies, including drones and artificial intelligence, in planning and implementation. For this, the most important requirement is a “unified database” or integrated information system. Precise and updated information about Dhaka’s water and drainage systems should be available on a single dashboard, which will be shared by all relevant institutions, including RAJUK, the city corporations, the Bangladesh Water Development Board, WASA, and BADC.

Each institution should regularly upload information about its projects and tenders to this dynamic system. As a result, continuous monitoring of the entire system will be possible. Decisions about how much funding is required for specific works should also be based on information from this database. If this kind of digital coordination can be ensured, it would be possible to resolve most of Dhaka’s problems within the existing framework without creating any new institution.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: First, the five retention areas proposed in DAP must be implemented quickly. These should not be treated merely as water reservoirs but should be developed as multipurpose public spaces like Hatirjheel.

Through public-private partnerships (PPPs), high-quality residential and commercial developments can be created around these public spaces. A significant portion of project financing can be secured through land value capture. That means using revenue generated from increases in land value resulting from the development. As a result, such projects can be implemented with limited government investment.

Second, integrated planning for land use and transportation systems must be ensured. Economic decentralization is needed by reducing Dhaka’s excessive concentration of offices, educational institutions, and economic activities.

By 2050, when Bangladesh’s population is expected to reach around 250 million, regional growth centers must already have employment opportunities, investment, and advanced urban development so that everyone does not continue to migrate toward Dhaka. Reducing pressure on Dhaka will not be possible without decentralisation.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: Tokyo’s population is larger than Dhaka’s. At one time, Tokyo’s situation was also as difficult as Dhaka’s. In 2023, a team from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government attended the Third International Conference of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners. Through a presentation, they showed how Tokyo gradually transformed into its present condition. They succeeded, so why couldn't we?

That is the real question. Change is certainly possible. What is needed is strong and visionary leadership. Implementing these changes will require taking some unpopular steps. Reforms will be necessary. Institutional capacity must be strengthened through the combination of modern technology expertise, skilled officials and professionals, and the necessary financial resources.

If these issues can be ensured, then Dhaka’s condition can also be transformed. It will take time; it will not happen overnight. But I do not consider it impossible.

Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan: Thank you as well.