In a concerted effort to foster sustainable and resilient development in Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, ICLEI South Asia is developing two distinct Climate Action Plans (CAPs) for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) in partnership with C40 Cities.

In this connection, a consultation workshop was held on September 12, 2023 in Dhaka in a significant move to engage a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, NGOs, and experts working in similar sectors for vadidating the draft Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory and Climate Change Risk Assessment reports and to share with them the city’s climate profile and risks.

Mr. Selim Reza, Chief Executive Officer, DNCC, inaugurated the event and, in his remarks, highlighted the impact of climate change in Dhaka and other cities in the country, and outlined future initiatives envisioned by the city. He also emphasised the need for collective climate actions that can be adopted for Dhaka, taking inspiration from developed countries. The core team members of DNCC and DSCC provided an overview of the project’s objectives, targets, challenges and current progress.

In their presentation, the ICLEI South Asia team introduced the city’s climate profile and the climate action planning methodologies that were employed, along with maps highlighting the most climate-vulnerable wards across various urban systems such as water supply, wastewater management, stormwater drainage, transportation, energy and healthcare. The GHG  inventory, painstakingly assembled from various data sources, provided an insight into emission trends and future emission scenarios for both city corporations.

During the open discussion, participants shared their experiences of handling climate-impacted urban systems and spoke about the importance of addressing vulnerabilities, particularly among the slum-dwellers in Dhaka. Other ongoing initiatives, including a United Nations Development Programme project focused on slum reconstruction and a plantation project designed to combat heat stress in DNCC, were also discussed.

The inputs gained from these discussions will be compiled and used in the development of effective climate action plans for both city corporations.