FE ONLINE REPORT |
Published:
Oct 19, 2022 6:17:43 p.m.
A third of the population in the high-density city of Dhaka cannot rely on running water, according to a new global report released on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Dhaka ranked 17e among the 20 most unsustainable megacities in the world with poor living conditions, says the report entitled “Ecological Threat Report (ETR) produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
Eight cities in South Asia are among the 20 least sustainable megacities in the world and face the highest population growth and the worst vulnerability to ecological threats.
Dhaka is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Between 1990 and 2005, the city’s population doubled from 6.0 million to 12 million. The city’s population is expected to increase further, to 35 million from its current population of 22.6 million, an increase of 53%.
One of the reasons for this growth is that approximately 2,000 people commute to the city daily.
Dhaka struggles to provide good living conditions for its residents due to its inability to manage waste. The city generates around 5,000 tonnes of waste per day, but only half is properly collected and disposed of.
The city, associated with rapid urbanization, is affected by ecological changes in several ways.
Dhaka is located on an area of only 360 square kilometers with a population of 22.6 million and has become one of the most densely populated cities in the world (with 29,000 people per square kilometer), the report adds.
The city is impacted by regular floods, which are only intensifying. Low in elevation, it can be affected by sea level rise, while facing infrastructure challenges, including transport, water, waste and energy.
Dhaka’s rapid urbanization highlights its central role in Bangladesh‘s drive to transition from a low-income to a middle-income country. The city generates around one-fifth of Bangladesh’s total economic output and provides over 40% of its employment in the formal sector.
Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), with proprietary research from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Global Risks Survey, the Ecological Threats Report annually tracks the links between climate change, ecological threats and violent conflict or forced migration.
Dhaka, Lahore, Kolkata, Delhi, Karachi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad are eight of the 20 cities facing the highest population growth and greatest vulnerability to ecological threats.
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