City governance in gridlock – New Age BD

Report on Urban Governance Challenges and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals in Bangladesh

1.0 Introduction: Urbanisation and the SDG Imperative

Bangladesh is experiencing unprecedented urbanisation, particularly in major cities such as Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, and Khulna. This growth, largely unplanned, presents significant challenges to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The current state of urban sprawl, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient services directly impacts the nation’s ability to meet several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

2.0 Key Challenges to Sustainable Urban Development

The rapid pace of urban growth has created multifaceted challenges that impede progress towards sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity.

2.1 Deficiencies in Infrastructure and Basic Services

The development of essential urban infrastructure has failed to keep pace with population growth, undermining key SDG targets.

• Water and Sanitation (SDG 6): Access to clean water and sanitation remains a critical issue. In Dhaka, only 60% of the population has access to piped water, and less than half of the city’s solid waste is properly managed. This falls short of the targets set by SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 11.6 (Reduce the environmental impact of cities).
• Transportation and Air Quality (SDG 11.2, SDG 3.9): Severe traffic congestion leads to significant economic losses and contributes to air pollution, posing health risks and hindering progress towards SDG 11.2 (Access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems) and SDG 3.9 (Reduce deaths from pollution).

2.2 Institutional Fragmentation and Governance Gaps

Weak governance structures are a primary obstacle to effective urban management and the achievement of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

• Overlapping Mandates: Multiple agencies, including RAJUK, DWASA, and city corporations, have overlapping responsibilities, which leads to a lack of coordination, inefficiency, and diffused accountability. This institutional fragmentation directly contravenes the principles of effective and accountable institutions promoted by SDG 16.
• Outdated Legal Frameworks: Existing urban management legislation, such as the Town Improvement Act of 1953, is outdated and poorly enforced. This weak regulatory environment enables illegal construction and encroachment, hindering the development of well-ordered and sustainable cities as envisioned in SDG 11.

2.3 Environmental Degradation and Climate Vulnerability

Unplanned urban expansion is causing severe environmental damage and increasing vulnerability to climate-related disasters, challenging the objectives of SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

• Ecosystem Encroachment: The filling of wetlands, rivers, and green spaces for real estate development destroys natural habitats and diminishes biodiversity, working against SDG 15. The severe pollution of rivers like the Buriganga highlights the failure to meet SDG 11.6.
• Increased Disaster Risk: The destruction of natural drainage systems exacerbates urban flooding, making cities less resilient to the impacts of climate change and undermining progress on SDG 11.5 (Reduce the adverse effects of natural disasters).

2.4 Planning and Technology Integration

Current urban planning is largely reactive, and the integration of modern technology remains limited, creating a barrier to building the smart and sustainable cities required by SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 11.

• Ineffective Master Plans: Master plans like the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) for Dhaka are often delayed or poorly implemented, failing to guide sustainable urban growth.
• Limited Technological Adoption: While initiatives using GIS and e-governance show promise, their limited scale prevents the widespread efficiency gains needed to achieve SDG 11’s targets for sustainable urban management.

3.0 Recommendations for a Sustainable Urban Future

A comprehensive reform strategy is essential to align Bangladesh’s urban development trajectory with the Sustainable Development Goals. The following actions are recommended:

1. Enhance Institutional Coordination (SDG 16, SDG 17): Establish a centralised urban coordination council to harmonise the actions of various agencies. This will foster integrated planning and implementation, crucial for achieving SDG 16 (Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
2. Implement Legal and Regulatory Reforms (SDG 16): Update and harmonise urban management laws to address contemporary challenges such as climate resilience and inclusive planning. Strengthening enforcement mechanisms is vital to uphold the rule of law and support sustainable development.
3. Promote Participatory Planning (SDG 11.3): Integrate participatory mechanisms like town hall meetings and citizen charters into the urban planning process. This ensures that development is inclusive and people-centred, directly supporting SDG 11.3 (Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization).
4. Invest in Capacity Building: Develop a skilled workforce in urban management through professional training and academic collaboration. This is a foundational requirement for the effective local implementation of all urban-related SDGs.
5. Accelerate Technological Adoption (SDG 9, SDG 11): Scale up the use of technologies like GIS, big data analytics, and IoT for improved planning, traffic management, and service delivery. This aligns with SDG 9’s focus on innovation and is essential for creating smart, efficient cities under SDG 11.
6. Prioritise Environmental Protection (SDG 11.7, SDG 13, SDG 15): Integrate green infrastructure, including protected zones and biodiversity corridors, into urban master plans. Strict enforcement of environmental impact assessments will help balance development with sustainability, contributing to SDG 11.7 (Provide access to green and public spaces), SDG 13, and SDG 15.

4.0 Conclusion

Effectively managed urbanisation is critical for Bangladesh to achieve its national development aspirations and the Sustainable Development Goals. By adopting a reformed approach focused on integrated governance, legal enforcement, and environmental sustainability, Bangladesh can transform its urban centres into inclusive, resilient, and sustainable engines of growth, fully realising the vision of SDG 11.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The article’s central theme is urban governance and the challenges of rapid, unplanned urbanization in Bangladesh. It directly discusses issues core to SDG 11, such as informal settlements, inadequate infrastructure (transportation, waste management), urban sprawl, the need for inclusive and participatory urban planning, the loss of green public spaces, and increased vulnerability to disasters like flooding.
2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • The article explicitly addresses this goal by highlighting deficiencies in essential services. It states that “only about 60 per cent of the city has access to piped water” and that sanitation services are “severely inadequate.” It also points to water pollution, mentioning that the “Buriganga River in Dhaka is severely polluted by industrial waste and dumping.”
3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • A significant portion of the article analyzes institutional failures, which is the focus of SDG 16. It describes problems like “division of responsibilities among institutions,” “overlapping duties, leading to inefficiencies and accountability issues,” “ineffectively enforced” laws, and “weak regulatory oversight.” The proposed solutions, such as institutional coordination, legal reforms, and participatory planning, are all aimed at building more effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions.
4. Other Connected SDGs
   • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The article connects poor urban management to public health by mentioning “health risks due to air pollution” resulting from traffic congestion.
   • SDG 13 (Climate Action): The text links uncontrolled urban growth to increased climate-related risks, noting that it “increases the risk of city flooding” and calls for reforms that address “climate resilience, disaster risk reduction.”
   • SDG 15 (Life on Land): The article discusses the negative impact of urban expansion on terrestrial ecosystems, stating that “Wetlands, rivers and green spaces are being filled to make room for real estate projects.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 6:
   • Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. This is directly relevant to the statement that “only about 60 per cent of the city has access to piped water.”
   • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials. The article’s example of the “Buriganga River in Dhaka is severely polluted by industrial waste and dumping” directly relates to this target.
2. Under SDG 11:
   • Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services. This is addressed by the description of urban sprawl characterized by “informal settlements, poor infrastructure and insufficient services.”
   • Target 11.2: Provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all. The article highlights the failure to meet this target by describing how “transportation remain severely inadequate” and citing “Traffic congestion in cities like Dhaka and Chattogram.”
   • Target 11.3: Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning. The article points to the lack of progress on this target, noting that “Master plans exist, but are often outdated or not put into action” and calls for “Participatory planning.”
   • Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… by disasters. This is relevant to the warning that “Uncontrolled urban growth also increases the risk of city flooding.”
   • Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. This is directly addressed by the statistics that “waste management is inefficient, with less than 50 per cent of waste collected and processed properly” and the mention of “health risks due to air pollution.”
   • Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces. The article discusses the violation of this target, stating that “Wetlands, rivers and green spaces are being filled to make room for real estate projects.”
3. Under SDG 16:
   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The article’s core argument about “institutional fragmentation,” “overlapping duties,” and “accountability issues” directly relates to the need for this target.
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The call for “Participatory planning” through “town hall meetings, citizen charters, feedback surveys and online platforms” is a direct recommendation for achieving this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Explicit Indicators:
   • Proportion of population with access to piped water: The article provides a direct metric: “only about 60 per cent of the city has access to piped water.” This can be used as an indicator for Target 6.1.
   • Proportion of solid waste collected and properly managed: The article states that “less than 50 per cent of waste collected and processed properly,” serving as a clear indicator for Target 11.6.
2. Implied Indicators:
   • Level of air pollution: The mention of “air pollution” from traffic congestion implies that metrics like the annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are relevant indicators for Target 11.6.
   • Economic losses from traffic congestion: The article notes that congestion results in “significant economic losses,” suggesting that the monetary value of time lost in traffic could be an indicator for measuring the efficiency of transport systems under Target 11.2.
   • Proportion of urban area dedicated to green space: The statement that “Wetlands, rivers and green spaces are being filled” implies that the percentage of a city’s area that is open or green space is a key indicator for progress towards Target 11.7.
   • Frequency and impact of urban flooding: The increased “risk of city flooding” suggests that the number of people affected by urban floods and the associated economic damage can be used as indicators for disaster resilience under Target 11.5.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: newagebd.net