DNCC, DSCC launch first-ever Climate Action Plan

The mayors of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) jointly launched the Climate Action Plan (CAP), the first ever in Dhaka, to make a climate-resilient city with net-zero emissions by 2050 on Sunday (12 May).

Identifying seven priority sectors such as management of stormwater, solid waste, health, water supply, wastewater, transport, and energy consumption, the city corporations have planned 27 strategies to achieve 21 targets by 2050.

Among the targets, uncompromising control of encroachment on the natural drainage system like khals, complete removal of municipal solid waste, early warning and action systems for heat stress and floods, full access to healthcare within 1.5km, use of 70% water from surface, and conversion of maximum vehicles into electric, are remarkable.

The launching of the CAP was held at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban Auditorium at Dhaka University.

Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury was present as the chief guest of the event, chaired by Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Professor Dr. ASM Maksud Kamal.

The minister, highlighting the importance of the CAP and a green, climate-resilient Dhaka for the national economy, said, “Implementation of the plan is a big challenge amid the harsh consequences of rising global temperatures.”

"However, citizen engagement is a must. Without people’s participation, even the best plan doesn’t work," Saber reminded.

The CAP for Dhaka’s two city corporations involves six internal stakeholders, along with several external stakeholders, including Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa), Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Housing and Building Research Institute, Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, Department of Public Health Engineering, Directorate General of Health Services, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority, and Power Development Board.

DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh announced that the city corporation will plant 45,000 trees and restore the water bodies and parks under its constituency in the next year. 

Requesting strong support from the development partners and local actors to minimise pollution, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam said, “As Dhaka is the centre of many environmental problems, we have to become the centre of solutions also.” 

The CAP was drafted with technical support from ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability—a network of more than 2500 local and regional governments; and C40 Cities— a climate leadership group of 96 cities around the world. 

ICLEI’s Bangladesh chapter representative MD. Jubaer Rashid briefed about the CAP for DNCC and DSCC. 

Gazipur City Corporation Mayor Jayeda Khatun, British High Commission in Dhaka’s deputy high commissioner and development director Matt Cannell, C40 Cities executive director Mark Watts, ICLEI South Asia executive director Emani Kumar, Centre for Urban Studies chairman Professor Nazrul Islam, among others, were present at the event.