The year 2015 has been special for so many reasons, and one of the main ones is that this year we are closing the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and moving towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). At the same time, the world is facing the biggest migration-related change -- within the country and outside of it -- in the history of our species. In the next 15 years, between now and the completion of the SDGs in 2030, urbanisation will go into overdrive.
Being the capital of a fast-developing country, according to the World Bank, Dhaka, with its current population of 17 million people, bears the distinction of being the fastest-growing city in the world, among other megacities. By 2025, the UN predicts that Dhaka will be home to more than 20 million people -- larger than Mexico City, Beijing, or Shanghai. Mass migration, a booming population, and livelihood opportunities are swelling in Dhaka.
The speed at which people are moving to cities is unsurprising, as a result, such cities get their own set of goals in the SDGs, which makes cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
Now, if we move our attention towards Dhaka, given the scale of expected growth, this is a remarkable opportunity to develop a thriving, healthy, livable city with low pollution, integrated transport systems, and low emissions. Despite having the majority of the population living in rural areas, cities like Dhaka are seen as the engines of creativity and innovation because they are dynamic and complex. However, these dynamics can produce unintended or unforeseen outcomes.
Looking into the SDGs in terms of urbanisation and cities, with a focus on Dhaka, the following items are vital in making the city more liveable.
Integrating migrants into the system
With every conservative assumption, it can be said that a major proportion of the impoverished can be termed as “the floating population” who come to Dhaka to work, but often without adequate social security or health care support. These people are often systematically discriminated against. Adopting a people-centred approach for those coming to Dhaka, nurturing a sense of belonging, and enhanced participation are the solutions.
Co-ordinated long-term vision
As Dhaka grows and new areas get joined to it, we need a co-ordinated long-term vision of the overall development of Dhaka. Unrealistically ambitious outlooks and over-competitive approaches would only result in redundant infrastructure and inefficient use of resources.
Prepare for future risks
The Rana Plaza incident and yearly floods have taught us that Dhaka needs to be prepared not only for the risks arising from climate change, but also those arising from structural neglect.
Implementation and accountability
Like many other cities, Dhaka suffers from severe air and water pollution due to the prioritisation of economic development over environmental integrity. Therefore, enhancing implementation of environmental regulation and ensuring accountability will have a dramatic positive effect on the livability of Dhaka.
Using data in planning and decision-making
Unfortunately, we do not have a full grasp of how Dhaka, as a complex system, would behave and respond to intervention. For example, decisions regarging transport can affect housing, industry, energy consumption, and health in unexpected ways. Unintended adverse consequences can be minimised through closer collaboration on data and urban policies.
Empowering Dhaka
This might sound a bit funny, but more financial power should be delegated to Dhaka in proportion to the goals outlined. In addition, it is important to recognise Dhaka’s rightful place in policy processes and implementation of SDGs. A good portion of our urban population lives in slums and low-resource areas. If these people are lagging behind, for whatever reasons, then, no matter how much improvement we may make, the whole country will be lagging behind
Facilitate city-to-city learning
Like any other entity, cities learn from each other. However, engagement in such peer-to-peer learning can be constrained by local capacity, and this is where upper-level government and international organisations can help.
In doing so, we must recognise that solutions are never one-size-fits-all in nature. It is also important to recognise that learning and sharing don’t have to be uni-directional.
It is easy to write and talk about solutions; however, implementing them is a much more complex thing. Creating a sustainable Dhaka for the future requires profound thinking, given the deep and complex system that is urbanisation.