URBANIZATION IN BANGLADESH PRESENT STATUS AND EMERGING

CHALLENGES

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, DHAKA, BANGLADESH

2015-2016

PRESENTORS

• DEEWAN MUSNAD

• MONYMOY CHAKMA

• PRADEEP CHALISE

• SANGITA BATAJ00

• H.M.ZAFOR

• SAIKAT SAHA

• KRIPA SHRESTHA

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Urbanization generally refers to a process in which an increasing proportion of an entire population lives in cities and surrounding of cities.

Urbanization, migration and development are inter-linked. The relationships are a two-way phenomenon. With each pair one variable may be the cause as well as the effect of the other.

The growing difference in living standards between the slum inhabitant on one side and well to do urban elites on other may lead to increased social and political instability.

According to an estimate, In 2020, nearly every other man, woman and child will live in an urban area (World Bank Bangladesh).

However, with a proper strategy for growth and employment, this can give rise for job creation in the non-farm sector and thus absorb surplus labor force generating in the agricultural sector

LITERATURE REVIEWLITERATURE REVIEW

Information from various sources of credible reports including the National and International Organizations were collected

Urbanization in Bangladesh

Rapid urbanization in Bangladesh, maybe uncountable in a situation of globalise market economy without a national system having minimum control over the development process.

The violent of development and inequality is not to be easily resolved in our existing political, social and economic system.

In 1991 census estimate, 22% of the country's population is urban.

The Urbanization Process

Bangladesh is the world’s seventh most populated country and also one of most the densest.

The population of the country is not likely to stabilize or begin to decline before, possibly, 2060 when it might be 230 million, with more than 70 % being urban.

Urbanization Status

2.2 Level of Urbanization in Bangladesh

2011 2.2 Level of Urbanization in Bangladesh

2011

In 1961, slightly more than 5% of the population lived in the urban areas.

According to the 1991 census estimate, 22% of the country's population is urban.

Nearly 50 % of the national urban population happens to be concentrated four metropolitan cities: Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi

Note: In the UNDP 2015 projection Dhaka with 21.1 millions is considered as the fourth megalopolis of the planet, after Tokyo and Mumbai (26.1 mill.) and Lagos (22.3 mill.).

Current Scenario of Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s urban population has been growing at a yearly average rate of 6 percent since independence, at a time when the national population growth was 2.2 percent.

As a result, urban population has grown six-fold, compared with a 70 percent increase in rural population.

As UN data, approximately 25 percent of Bangladesh’s current population currently lives in urban areas. Of this urban population, more than half lives in the four largest cities: Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi.

rapid migration is causing Dhaka’s population to grow much faster than the rest of the country.

The population density is now believed to have reached around 34000 people per square kilometer, making Dhaka amongst the most densely populated city in the world.

All major cities in South Asia are facing similar problems: poverty, deplorable condition of slums, corruption and

inefficiency in service delivery, weak governance and poor finances

Urban Migration and Population Growth in Dhaka City

The total urban area of Dhaka spans about 1530 square kilometers (Islam 2005).

About 80% of the garments industry in Bangladesh is located in Dhaka city.

Dhaka city contributes to about 13% of the country’s GDP.

Driving Forces behind Rapid Urbanization in Bangladesh

In 1974 people living in urban areas accounted for only 8.8% of the population.

By 2001, urban population was 23.40% of total population. UN data estimates that currently 25% people of Bangladesh live in urban areas.

This is indicative of the fact that growth of urban population and labor force is increasing relative to rural population and labor force.

Driving forces:

1. Real or perceived job Opportunities.

2. Higher wages in the city are the main pulls.

3. Rural-urban disparities in other opportunities and services are also responsible.

4. A large proportion of rural-urban migrations

 

Consequences of urbanization

Positive Consequences of Urbanization Economic benefits Employment Opportunity Education Demographic benefits: lowering of age at marriage, reduction

of fertility rate etc. Improved access to information technology- Socio-cultural benefits: modernization. Political benefits: empowerment, democracy etc.

Negative Consequences

Environment

In Bangladesh, average temperature has registered an increasing trend of about 1°C in May and 0.5°C in Nov. (1985-1998).

The annual mean rainfall exhibits increasing trends in Bangladesh.

Existing Housing Problem

Dhaka’s land prices are comparable to those in suburban New York or London.

Because of this, it is impossible for the poor to afford.

The last statistical survey conducted in 1995 found that 16% of the poor were owners; 56% were tenants; 8% were rent free dwellers and nearly 20% were squatters of illegal occupants.

Slums

In absolute terms there are 8 million urban poor people at present.

The majority of slum dwellers are under the poverty line: earning less than BDT 4,500/month.

Water Supply

• 70% of Dhaka’s population has now access to piped water.

• Future development of surface water sources is in danger because of industrial pollution.

• • However, deficits have gone

down in recent years both in absolute liters and as percentage of demand.

Much of the traffic relied on private sources, with rickshaws providing the most used travel mode.

On the positive side, the rickshaws has lowered the potential air pollution while also conserving energy.

On the negative side, rickshaws has contributed to heavy traffic congestion and poses a severe safety hazard.

Transportation

Electricity

Load shedding, especially in summer, is common due to insufficient peak load capacity.

90% of population in Dhaka has power connections. Per capita consumption is 45kw/hour and 12% per year.

Sanitation

It is estimated about 3,200 metric tons of solid waste is produced per day.

Only about 50% is collected by the city authority for proper disposal.

The sanitation management is grossly inadequate, posing a tremendous health challenge.

Income inequality and poverty

urbanization generates growth in the economy, it also creates great inequality of income within urban population.

Rural-urban migration in Bangladesh is held responsible for transferring poverty from rural areas to urban areas

Encroachment on productive agricultural land and forest:

Population increase, growth of income , lack of planning and development control are resulting rapid conversion of agricultural productive land to urban use.

There is also urban encroachment into forest areas, as seen in the Modhupur Tract.

Social consequences

Negative social consequences increase in crime and violence, drug trafficking and addition, corruption and prostitution.

Political consequences: Criminalization of politics

Using poor young male urban adults as party cadres or musclemen, for political gain is now common and an open secret in Bangladesh.

Rise and fall of infamous Ershad Sikdar of Khulna is a glaring example of such criminalization of politics in the urban area.

Neglected Urban Issues

There is as yet no integrated, comprehensive, and effective effort to overcome the urbanization crisis facing Bangladesh.

Urbanization efforts so far remain ad hoc, isolated, and partial in nature. There is a lack of vision and integrated effort in resolving the.

ChallengesChallenges

Unplanned and unguided spontaneous urbanization with continuously mounting problems

Lack of advanced planning for utility services, shelter and infrastructure

Lack of advanced planning for road infrastructure and public transportation, installation of electric, gas, water, sewerage and telephone lines

Continue..Continue.. Lack of comprehensive urbanization comprising all civic amenities like parks, lakes and other recreational facilities

Absence of regulatory framework of urban public land and waterways to prevent their misuse

Absence of conscious policy for utilization of urban public land and waterways which could be used as resources for building civic amenities

RecommendationsRecommendations

Improving City Governance: the Principal Strategy

Essential that they have elected and accountable governments with clearly defined responsibilities .a part of city reform strategy will be to develop viablecity

Government that is able to attract private investment and mobilize public resources based on service delivery and attractive city environment

Decentralization of Functions and Responsibilities

The theory of decentralization of functions is based on the principle of allocating public functions to those levels of government which can do it best

In Bangladesh the policing function is managed by the central government.

Establishing decentralization to appropriate levels for achieving greater coordination among public sector agencies will be a strategy of the Plan.

Autonomy to Raise Own Finances

In the case of city governments the access to property taxes and some form of “neutral” business or income tax is important for ensuring their accountability.

while upper tier of the government sets the tax base for economic efficiency, the ability of city governments to set rates and have autonomy to raise own finances

Coordination of Fiscal, Regulatory and Administration

The ability of city managers to coordinate fiscal, regulatory and administrative systems which influence the efficiency of cities is crucial to improving the welfare of urban citizens.

Where city managers do not have the authority for managing the city as a whole – as a self-contained system – the ability to leverage the productivity of the city to improve the welfare of residents will be limited

Administrative Systems Good Urban Planning and Sound Incentives

Job creation should be a part of the strategy so that expansion of employment and income will allow the urban population to move into formal and informal housing

This will necessitate urgent steps for improvements in land use planning, property valuation and taxation and improvement of service delivery.

Developing a Sound Real Estate Market

At present around 80% of the housing purchased is from self-finance.

As such the housing market serves mostly the upper and middle-income households.

To meet the housing needs of the lower income households the House Building Finance Corporation should be restructured and housing finance in the private sector for lower income households should be encouraged.

Exploring the Feasibility of NGO Involvement in Housing

NGO involvement in housing programs in Bangladesh is limited.

projects run by some NGOs which offers cost-effective rental hostel accommodation for female garment workers (World Bank, 2007).

The feasibility of replicating such initiatives will be explored as a housing strategy.

Taking Steps for Better Role of Government in Urban Land Management

The pressure of urban housing ultimately puts focus on the government’s land management policies and practices.

The limited urban supply of land is subject to competitive claims for commercial, industrial, administrative, educational, recreational, military ,road building and residential purposes.

CONCLUSION

Within this kind of a dichotomous situation of positive and negative aspects of urbanization, what will we see in future in Bangladesh ?

Obviously for Bangladesh, its future lies to a great extent on how we develop the urban sector.

We should facilitate the process towards a more positive direction by some careful guidance, planning and support, and by adopting and implementing a good urban strategy

Restating Dr. Abul Barakt's view : As individuals, as a citizen and as a member of civil society, we all play a vital role tin accelerating sustained development in Bangladesh.

we can expedite the whole process, even within our limited scale of public action, if we believe and practice the 3 "C" paradigm: CONCERN, COMMITMENT and COMPETENCE.