While rapidly growing urban areas can be a convincing sign of a country's development, urban planning is not an easy task -- especially if we want to ensure sustainable living conditions.
An abundance of concrete structures, usually at the cost of green spaces, can prove to be a hindrance to the overall well-being of the residents, which is the grievous reality for Dhaka city and its dwellers.
A lack of greenery in the capital, coupled with overpopulation and lacklustre planning, has contributed significantly to rising temperatures, pollution, and deteriorating health conditions, making Dhaka one of the least liveable cities in the world.
The situation is dire in and of itself, but especially requires immediate attention in the face of a global climate crisis threatening to devastate the earth as we know it.
The city corporations have suggested certain approaches over the last few years that could seemingly reduce the possible damage, and while that is certainly a hopeful first step, a lot more needs to be done to introduce green spaces in the city.
As the economic hub of our nation, a lot of the country's core operations are carried out in the capital, and to counter the detrimental side-effects that a concrete jungle comes with, setting up green spaces across the city is of utmost importance.
Authorities must take the matter into serious consideration, design and implement a sustainable green plan, and also create more awareness on the subject so residents can participate in greening up the city.
A greener approach can help purify the air, bring down the frequency and intensity of heat waves, and further reduce our overall contribution to the climate crisis.
On top of that, green spaces can significantly improve health and living conditions of the city-dwellers, as well as positively impact their mental well-being.
We must work towards creating a more favourable environment for our people to thrive in, in order to ensure that the ones behind our nation's progress are well taken care of, and that we continue to move closer to our developmental goals.
