Create open, green spaces to save Dhaka

With increasing high-rise buildings, decreasing wetlands and open spaces, Dhaka is steadily becomong less and less liveable.

Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) presented significant data and information to establish the fact that no capital city can sustain such conditions.

The data revealed by BIP presented at a conference titled “Air, environment and liveability of Dhaka city: State of green, water, open space and concrete cover” shows a gruesome condition of the city.

According to urban planners, ideally at least 10 to 15 per cent of wetlands and 15 to 20 per cent of greenery should cover a city. The total area of open space in Dhaka has declined to one-third over the past 20 years.

The survey was conducted in Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation dividing the two parts into 11 zones.

According to experts, each of the city dwellers needs nine to 50 square metres of open space living in an ideal city.

The study found that the concrete-covered area in Dhaka currently covers around 82 per cent of the total land area. In 1999, there was 64.99 per cent of concrete-covered area that increased to 77.18 per cent in 2009. The area of wetlands declined to 4.38 per cent which was 14.25 per cent 20 years ago.

BIP has made some recommendations, including building green buffer zones, preserving existing water bodies and restoring the occupied water bodies, not to expand the city, reviewing environmental, social and other impacts before implementing infrastructure plans, building ward-based greenery, ensuring balance of green, blue and gray infrastructure in the city through short, medium and long term plans in order to overcome this situation.

Implementation of each of the recommendations is essential to make Dhaka liveable again. But who will bell the cat?

Those who build concrete buildings by occupying wetlands and open spaces are more powerful. In some cases, it seems these people are more powerful than the government. Because of this, Dhaka Detail Area Plan (DAP) has failed. Who knows, any future plan may risk the similar fate?

What gives us hope is that the greenery of Dhaka city has grown somewhat. Twenty years ago, the green space in Dhaka was 6.69 per cent which rose to 9.20 per cent now. The data does not include the amount of plants on rooftop gardens.

Urban plan directives clearly mention how much lands should be spared while making a building. But if those who make the law violate it or turn a blind eye to who violate the law, Dhaka is bound to become a concrete jungle. This is high time the authorities should take steps to save Dhaka and restore the wetlands and open spaces from the illegal occupants.