Group F - Collaborative Climate Adaption Project
| Area | please enter the area name here | |
| Place | Dhaka | |
| Country | Bangladesh | |
| Topic | please enter the topic here | |
| Author(s) | Please enter your name(s) | |
| ||
|
| ||
Rationale: Why have you selected this case study area?
In Bangladesh, climate change is a matter of life and death. Climate change in Bangladesh is an extremely crucial issue and according to National Geographic, Bangladesh ranks first as the most vulnerable nation to the impacts of climate change in the coming decades. Bangladesh is the most vulnerable nation due to global climate change in the world according to German Watch’s Global Climate Risk Index (CRI) of 2011. Shortage of land to accommodate the people, food security, human health, illiteracy, and so forth. Dhaka is one of the ten mega-cities in the world. Growing at a very fast rate, the population of Dhaka urban area is predicted to increase to about 21 million by 2015 from the current population of 11.3 million. Dhaka’s rapid development, its fast-changing urban landscape and the associated critical environmental challenges call for holistic urban planning, strengthening of institutions responsible for urban development and good governance. Eventually, we decided to explore the most important problems, negative and positive impacts in this country.
Authors' perspectives
- What theoretical or professional perspective do you bring to the case study?
Landscape and/or urban context
- Biogeography, land use patterns, cultural features, overall character, history and dynamics
- ratio of green/blue and sealed/built-up areas
Illustration: Map; sketches; short descriptive analyses
Cultural/social/political context
- Brief explanation of culture, political economy, legal framework
Illustration: Bullet points, image, background notes The Bangladesh poverty rate has reduced by 1% per year since 1990. Poverty fell from 60% in 1990 to 50% in 2000. Growth in GDP per head has increased from 1% per annum during the 1970s to 3% since the early 1990s.Life expectancy has increased by more than 15 years over this period. A decline in the total fertility rate reduced population growth to 1.5% a year by the mid-1990s. Furthermore, the Human Poverty Index (HPI), which reflects income poverty, illiteracy and health deprivation, has declined dramatically from 61% in 1981-83 to 36% in 2004.Since independence in 1971, Bangladesh has experienced different types of government regime. These are: democratic rule (1971-75), military rule and an attempt to return to democracy (1975-81), military rule (1981-1991) and return to multiparty democracy in 1991. In 1991, a major political party was elected through a general election conducted under a care-taker neutral government. But politics in Bangladesh always remain confrontational, one party distrusting and blaming the other when it fails to win election and get power. Elected parliaments have been made ineffective by continuous boycott of parliamentary session by those who are not in power. As a result a “culture of conflict” has developed where the politics of exclusion dominate rather than the politics of inclusion, affecting the total economy and society. Political agitations that take the form of frequent strikes, hartals and blockade cause huge loss to the economy. Recently the magnitude of hartal and blockade has increased significantly. “After a decade of democratic renewal in the 1990s, which succeeded 16 years of cantonment raj, our politics is becoming increasingly dysfunctional. Linguistically, culturally, socially Bangladesh is a homogenous country. People in Bangladesh do not have the freedom to develop themselves according to their choice, and are instead embedded in certain unfreedoms. The removal of substantial unfreedoms is constitutive of development (Sen 2000). There are five different types of rights and opportunities that help to advance the general capability of a person. These are: political freedoms; economic facilities; social opportunities; transparency guarantees and protective security. These are indeed mutually reinforcing and complementary (Sen 2000:10). These unfreedoms are accentuated by the state which fails to play its neutral and benevolent role in providing succour to the people. Bangladesh’s legal framework for international cooperation in corruption cases consists essentially of the Extradition Act and, to a limited extent, the provisions in the Criminal Procedure Code on evidence commissions. Extradition to and from countries is, however, subject to the existence of a treaty. Until recently, the lack of treaties no doubt presented the greatest obstacle for cooperation. Since the ratification of the UNCAC in 2007, Bangladesh may now seek and provide extradition and MLA to and from States Parties to the Convention.
Local Climate
- What are the climatic conditions at present? Have there been extreme weather events in the near past?
- Which changes are expected? Is there any evidence?
The climate of Dhaka is tropical. It characteristics are hot, wet and humid. Dhaka has a distinct monsoon season, with an annual average temperature of 25 °C. The temperature is varying between 18 °C in January and 29 °C in August (diagram below).
Image:climate 1.jpg|your image text
Bangladesh itself can be divided into three different seasons. Firstly the wet season from end of may till beginning of October. Secondly the cold season from October till the end of February. And thirdly the hot season from mid of march until the middle of may. Beside this classification is the climate divided from the local people into six parts. Basanto (spring), Grishma (summer), Barsha (rain time), Sharat (fall), Hemanto (foggy) und Sheet (winter).
Nearly 80% of the average rainfall occurs during the monsoon season which lasts from May till the end of September. Increasing air and water pollution from traffic congestion and industrial waste are serious problems in the city. Affecting public health and the living quality.
Water bodies and wetlands are partly destroyed for buildings and other real estate developments Coupled with the mentioned pollution, such erosion of natural habitats threatens to destroy slowly the regional biodiversity. (iten-online.ch)
According to the climate change vulnerability index from 2011 Bangladesh and therefore Dhaka have an extremely high risk to get affected by the climate change during the next years and decades.
The biggest concern for Dhaka will be the impacts of flooding. Especially near to the coast lines where the population density is very high. This leads to massive problems by the case of a flood. Many people could loos there home and working place. Areas for agriculture and feeding will be overflooded and useless.
- Climate 1.JPG
- Climate 2.JPG
- Climate 3.JPG
Illustration: Table or time line
Analysis of vulnerability
- If you consider these potential changes - which aspects/functions of your case study would be affected?
According to the climate change vulnerability index from 2011 Bangladesh and therefore Dhaka have an extremely high risk to get affected by the climate change during the next years and decades.
The biggest concern for Dhaka will be the impacts of flooding. Especially near to the coast lines where the population density is very high. This leads to massive problems by the case of a flood. Many people could loos there home and working place. Areas for agriculture and feeding will be overflooded and useless.
Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches/photos/background notes
Proposals for Climate Change Adaption
- How could your case study area become more resilient to climate change?
- Which measures would need to be taken to adapt to the new situation?
- How could you assure sustainability of these measures?
- Please describe 2-3 measures
Proposals for Climate Change Mitigation
- Which measures would need to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other drivers of climate change within your case study area?
- How could you assure sustainability of these measures?
- Please describe 2-3 measures
Your scenario
- How will this area look like in 2060?
- Please forecast one potential future development taking climate change into account
Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches photos and background notes
What can be generalized from this case study?
- Are there any important theoretical insights?
- Which research questions does it generate?
- Short statement plus background notes
Image Gallery
- Yourimage.jpg
your image text
- Yourimage.jpg
your image text
- Yourimage.jpg
your image text
- Yourimage.jpg
your image text
- Yourimage.jpg
your image text
- Yourimage.jpg
your image text
- Yourimage.jpg
your image text
- Yourimage.jpg
your image text
References
Please add literature, documentations and weblinks
About categories: You can add more categories with this tag: "", add your categories