Mahmud Kamal Anamul Haque
Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and has dealt with it quickly Population growth in the last century through the rate of population growth was somewhat there has been a moderate decline in recent times. The country is about to witness rapid expansion Urbanization in the next decade. Crowds of people are also growing in cities around the world. These urban centers are struggling to accommodate the growing population, multi-story buildings and transportation system. The destruction of nature at the hands of human beings must be stopped, biodiversity must be protected. These are the cities that can start the fight to save nature from destruction. Scientists said, half of the world’s population is now urban and the city’s population will grow by 70% by 2030. Urban development planning should be done in such a way that it does not adversely affect biodiversity, be it in the case of trees or any insects. It is very important to bring back the ecosystem.
Eco-friendly urbanization is an environmentally friendly, sustainable, sensitive, and healthy city.
The concept of an eco-friendly city aims to protect the environment and resources, repair the damage, and establish improved urban discipline while doing this. The biggest causes of damage to the biophysical environment in developed cities can be identified as overuse, negative consequences of technology and unequal population growth. The main goal of the eco-friendly approach is to try to change the world of the future positively.
The urban population of Bangladesh has been growing at an average annual 6 percentage rate since independence, while the national population growth rate was 2.2%. According to World Bank urban population has grown sixfold compared to the 70 percent growth of the rural population. According to the latest data from the United Nations, about 25% of Bangladesh’s current population currently lives in urban areas.
Of these urban populations, the largest Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi live in more than half of the four largest cities. With a population of about 12 million, Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is the 11th largest city in the world. At the same time, it has consistently ranked as one of the least livable cities in the world.
In big cities, industrial fumes from vehicles are polluting the environment, which is already having a detrimental effect on human health. As a result of unplanned urbanization, construction of houses, roads, offices, courts and factories, we are destroying forests, vegetation and green cover in and around the capital Dhaka every day. We are filling the reservoir, destroying biodiversity. Black smoke from factories, brickfields and vehicles, household and industrial solid and liquid wastes are polluting the environment of Dhaka and making it uninhabitable. As a result of air and noise pollution, city dwellers are suffering from various incurable diseases. Due to this, the number of patients suffering from shortness of breath, high blood pressure, depression, pneumonia and cancer is increasing day by day. Not only air pollution, but noise pollution is also a big problem in urban areas. Noise is producing one and a half to two times more noise in Dhaka than the pollution level.
But Dhaka was a beautiful city. Until 1911, Dhaka was the provincial capital. Even after losing the status of this capital, a new Dhaka was formed centred on Dhaka University. Although not very rich, the aristocracy of the old city and the simple beauty of the new establishments combined to create a beautiful city. There is a secretariat, and the headquarters of all government institutions and the headquarters of all government and semi-government forces, from children’s schools to colleges, universities, hospitals and almost everything important is located in Dhaka.
As a result of unplanned and uncontrolled urbanization, people living in cities and towns are now at risk. If this trend continues, there will be chaotic urban development, unemployment, environmental degradation, lack of access to basic services, crime and poor population growth. For this, it is important to adopt appropriate policies to ensure balanced and sustainable urbanization.
The livability of cities around the world have been determined: sustainability, health care, culture, environment, education and infrastructure. The issues under consideration are closely related to the normal life of the city dwellers, health care, economic development, happiness and well-being. There is no way to ignore or avoid these.
We have repeatedly spoken of a planned, eco-friendly, green and sustainable city in tune with Mahatma Gandhi. We are saying that the Bangladesh of the future will be the Bangladesh of urban and urban agriculture. By including agriculture in the city plan, the residents of the city have to produce food, vegetables, fruits, fish meat, and milk-eggs.
At the same time, all the cities of the country including Dhaka should be greeted by planting trees on the roofs of houses, on both sides of the road, on the island of the road, in the unused office-court place, on the bank of the pond. Vacancies in cemeteries and crematoriums need to be modern technology-based projects to generate electricity and organic manure from waste. The rivers and canals around each city must be occupied and decontaminated.
As the days go by, the number of city dwellers is increasing. In the hope of education, employment, poverty alleviation, healthcare and higher incomes, and the wake of various natural disasters, including river erosion, people who have lost their homes are taking refuge in urban slums. Thus, if the population of the city continues to grow, by 2020, 50 percent of the country, that is, eight and a half crores people. Therefore, keeping in view the demand for 2050, the cities of the entire country have to be built in a planned manner and accordingly. All the development plans have to be formulated and implemented from now on.
That is why we need philosophical and structural changes in urban planning. To ensure balanced and sustainable urbanization, it is necessary to first set an urbanization vision or goal that will be designed to ensure citizen-friendly and basic services. For this, the government has to form a kind of self-reliant and democratic city in every city. Because without the active participation of the city dwellers, building an environmentally friendly, planned and sustainable city will not be possible under any circumstances.
Author is an Associate Editor,
The Environment Review
envreview.com 