This Sunday 49mm of rain had been recorded in the capital Dhaka in nine hours that triggered widespread waterlogging situations in many parts of the city. It caused huge disruptions to daily life, left commuters stranded and hampered traffic movement throughout the city.
Waterlogging and flooding in our cities and urban areas are common challenges for us that we face many times in a year. Whenever there is flooding and waterlogging, we often see a spark of public frustration and criticism, often indicating that this is a consequence of corruption, inadequate drainage networks, encroachment on wetlands and natural waterways, poor waste management, and unplanned urban expansion and so on.
Many of these concerns are valid and should be reasonably addressed with continuous investment in resilient infrastructure. At the same time, we have to acknowledge that compared to the past, there have been a lot of infrastructural developments and it is continuing.
Despite these developments, why do we continue to face the same, sometimes even worse than before? This is why our knowledge of climate change and its recent dynamics is also important to understand. Our widespread public perception is that economic development and improved infrastructure alone can eliminate problems such as flooding and waterlogging. Investments in drainage systems, urban planning, and climate-resilient infrastructure are undoubtedly essential but it is unrealistic to assume that development can completely shield cities from the forces of a rapidly changing climate.
Recent floods in some of the world's most developed cities indicate that even the best cities can be flooded. It illustrates how rapid climate patterns are changing and challenging conventional planning assumptions. On 2 September, Toronto was hit by severe flooding after intense rainfall that overwhelmed drainage systems, disrupted transportation networks, and affected daily life.
On the same day, several cities in China's southeastern Fujian Province were inundated by torrential rains which was powerful enough to sweep away vehicles. Similar flooding events have also been reported this year in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Tokyo.
Same happened in many other advanced cities in the recent past years. It shows that no city is immune to the growing risks of extreme weather. The fact that highly advanced and well-resourced cities continue to face devastating floods does not necessarily mean that their planning systems have failed. Rather, it highlights a new reality: many infrastructure systems designed using historical climate data have become obsolete.
Weather projections play a critical role in floodplain mapping and resilient infrastructure design. Yet at this time of history, climate projections are becoming increasingly difficult. Hence, future development planning such as housing, roads, and bridges require a comprehensive understanding of climate change and its dynamics.
The recent Nepal flood disaster is a clear sign that climate related disasters can take shape that we never imagined possible. There is now this warning from the United Nations that natural climate phenomena such as El Niño may cause more extreme weather patterns such as droughts, flooding, extreme heat, wildfires.
We are both a Least Developed Country (LDC) and one of the world''s most climate-vulnerable nations. Due to our low-lying deltaic geography, high population density, and extensive coastlines along the Bay of Bengal, we often face disproportionate exposure to climate-related hazards. Each year, millions of people are affected by climate-induced events, particularly during the four-to-five-month long monsoon season when intense rainfall often triggers widespread flooding, landslides, riverbank erosion, and waterlogging.
This year, the flooding in southern Chittagong, especially Banshkhali was a big shock to the local people who never imagined rainwater could trigger such a devastating flood situation in a coastal area.
If we only focus on governance and infrastructure failures, we can obscure a larger reality. In a highly climate vulnerable country like ours, even well-designed urban systems can be overwhelmed by unprecedented volumes of rainfall and other climate-related shocks. We should see flooding not only an infrastructure challenge that can always be solved by engineering but also as a rapidly changing climate challenge.
We have undoubtedly made remarkable technological, infrastructural and economic progress but it has not given us any control over natural systems. We do not control rain, wind, or sea, rather we are contributing to global warming which has a direct and indirect link to every climate event. The assumption that every challenge can be permanently solved through human engineering or planning has created a false sense of stability for us. In a world where environmental, social, and technological conditions are constantly changing, infrastructure, policies, and even long-term plans can become outdated more quickly than expected.
Recently World Meteorological Organization warned that world's water cycle becoming more unpredictable and with an unprecedented El Nino, it is expected to exacerbate the long-term trend. Scientists have also been saying the same that historical weather data is becoming unreliable to predict weather events in future.
This is why climate education and awareness are not optional; it is an essential investment in our collective future. Climate education is not merely about acquiring knowledge, it is about preparing individuals, communities, and institutions to adapt to a world where environmental change is constant and uncertainty is increasing. Therefore, adaptation should not be viewed as a sign of weakness or failure. Rather, it is a practical and forward-looking strategy for navigating an uncertain future.
The goal is not to create systems that never fail, but to build societies that can learn, evolve, and respond effectively when conditions change.
* Parvez Uddin Chowdhury is a development worker and climate enthusiast.