Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is a bustling hub of government, political, commercial, academic and cultural activities.  It is also renowned for historical landmarks, a testament to the city’s rich and varied history, as well as industries as varied as textiles, handicrafts and other traditional items.

However, with a population of over 10 million people, Dhaka is also in the spotlight for the  significant challenges it faces due to climate change impacts. The city’s infrastructure is under increasing stress because of frequent waterlogging and heat waves, thus causing economic losses, and difficulties in providing basic services to the population.

The influx of migrants, trying to escape flooding in the coastal areas, to densely-populated Dhaka is putting added pressure on the city’s urban services, as many of these migrants live in informal settlements with inadequate facilities, making them vulnerable to several risks. To address these issues, the Dhaka North City Corporation and the Dhaka South City Corporation joined the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) network in 2011 and 2018, respectively, to take action on enhancing the city’s resilience, and improving the quality of life for its citizens. They are also signatories to the C40 Urban Nature Declaration, which prioritises nature-based solutions to address climate change, promote biodiversity, and enhance the resilience of urban areas.

ICLEI South Asia has been working in Dhaka since 2022 to reduce the impacts of climate change and foster sustainable urban development. In line with their commitments, both Dhaka corporations are developing  their Climate Action Plans (CAPs) under the project “Climate Action Plans for Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation”. It involves developing GHG emission inventories and climate change risk assessments, with support from ICLEI South Asia and C40 Cities.

The CAPs will provide a roadmap for reducing GHG emissions and increasing the cities’ climate resilience, and will identify specific measures and strategies for promoting sustainable urban development, such as improving energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy, and promoting low-carbon transportation, as well as managing air quality, water and waste.

The combination of multiple climatic factors makes Dhaka one of the most vulnerable cities globally. The challenge is huge, but the city has started making efforts that could help its people have more climate-resilient lives in the future.