Call for environment-friendly urbanisation

3 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Urbanisation must be well planned and environment-friendly to garner the socio-economic benefits, urban experts said at a seminar in the city yesterday. Making urbanisation sustainable and appropriate is vital to keep up its productivity but there is no policy in Bangladesh to ensure it, said Prof Sarwar Jahan, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP). BIP and Planners and Power Participation Research Centre (PPRC) jointly organised the seminar titled 'Rethinking Urban Planning Education for 21st Century Challenges' at BIP. "Urbanisation in Bangladesh is managed badly," said Prof Sarwar. "The people could enjoy the benefits of urbanisation if it was managed effectively." He said urbanisation rate in Bangladesh increased from 8 to 28 percent over the past three decades. There are around 522 small towns and cities in the country and 28 percent of the total population live in the urban areas. The urban population contributes 60 percent to the country's gross domestic product, said Prof Sarwar, also head of urban and regional planning department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet). Urban development policy is vital for a healthy life, environmental conservation and a sustainable economy, he said, adding the modern-day urban planning has to address social, economic and environmental aspects, and it is a challenge for the planners. A constant dialogue among the urban planners, economists and anthropologists is necessary for appropriate urbanisation, said Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre, who moderated the seminar. Today's urban planners have to keep in consideration not only socio-economic growth but also conservation of environment, aestheticism and heritage. At present, urban planning is taught at Buet, Jahangirnagar University, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology and Brac University.