Addressing Urban Vulnerability to Climate Change:

Findings from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Craig Johnson and Iftekhar Haque

Department of Political Science and International Development Studies University of Guelph, Canada

Objective How cities are getting prepared to address

the challenge of climate change Mainstreaming climate change policies in

urban planning Management of urban fringe development

Climate Change and Bangladesh IPCC 2007: One of the most vulnerable

countries to climate change Short term climate shocks: Cyclones Floods Prolonged droughts Salinity Long term: Sea level rise

Flows of Migration from Climate Hotspots

“Migration to cities is the most common coping strategy”

Source: World bank (2010)

Typical destination of climate induced migrants

Dhaka’s vulnerability to climate change Excessive Rain

Water logging Floods

Damage of households in slums

Damage of roads Water borne diseases

Drought Heat/Cold Wave Temperature Increase

Growth of Dhaka City

1951 1961 1974 1981 1991 2001 20100

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

Population (in million) Area (sq km)

Population (million)

Area (sq km)

Dhaka’s Changing Land Use

Source: Dewan and Yamaguchi (2009)

Methodology A six-month study in Dhaka’s Eastern

fringe key informant interviews Politicians Bureaucrats Urban Planners Academics Real Estate companies Survey of 200 households FGDs with affected populations

Agricultural land

Flood Flow Zones

Water retention bodies

Detailed Area Plan: Violated by Government

Purbachal New Town

Jhilmil Residential area

Detailed Area Plan: Violated by Government

Purbachal New Town

Jhilmil Residential area

Private Housing Projects

Detailed Area Plan: Violated by Private Sector

Illegal land filling for housing projects

Forced purchasing of land

Land grabbing

Possible Consequences Increased risk of floods and water logging Health hazards Loss of agricultural production Earthquake’s consequence will be dreadful Displacement Livelihood

Incidence of forced purchase by real estate companies

Forced to sell Land filled with sand0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%65.90%

40.46%

% of respondents

Agricu

lture

Shop

keep

er (s

mal

l)

Smal

l Bus

ines

s

Day la

bour

er

Land

Age

nt0

10

20

30

40

50

60

49.14

8.576.28

2.29 2.29

37.71

1215.42

5.71 6.71

20002010

Distribution of household heads according to major occupations (%)

42.29

57.71

Occupation changed in last ten yearsOccupation Unchabged in last ten years

Occupation changed from 2000-2010 (%)

Challenges Capital Development Authority’s dual role

as regulator and real estate Strong lobby of real estates and land

developers Influence on politics Media

Policy options Reform of the Capital Development

Authority (RAJUK). DAP implantation commission Justice Urban planners Environmental experts

Thank You!