Environmental Problems

of
The Respective Residential Neighborhood

FARZANA KHAN
ID: 0830084
Submitted to
Director, SESM
Date of Submission
March 31, 2009
 Environmental Problems
of
The Respective Residential Neighborhood

Assignment Submitted to
Fulfill the Requirement of ENV 101
Spring 2009

FARZANA KHAN
ID: 0830084
Section: 05

Submitted to
Director, SESM
Date of Submission
March 31, 2009
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Here wishes to thank the distinguished individuals, researchers, experts and
institution instructors who have actively helped in the study and made valuable
contribution in preparation of this assignment namely, ‘Environmental Problems of
The Respective Residential Neighborhood’.

Special thanks are due to:

Professor Haroun Er Rashid

Director, SESM

Mr. Kazi Ahmed Kabir

Course Lecturer, ENV101

Dr. Abdul Khaleque

Course Lecturer, ENV101
 EXECUTIVE SUMMERY
Dhaka is the most densely populated and rapidly growing city in the third world
countries. With its growth, Dhaka has been a showcase for almost every urban
problem imaginable. The quantitative and qualitative inadequacies of existing urban
infrastructures and the inefficient urban and environment management systems that
generally exist in this country are leading to severe environmental pollution and a
degradation of standard of livings, health and well being. The transportation
congestion has changed so dramatically in type and magnitude that it is now viewed
as the number one source of urban environment problems. This has created a need
for a significant expansion of the city's structure from mono-centric to the poly-
centric.

However, the city's current planning is dedicated primarily to coping with pressure
of population and infrastructural needs. Sustainable urban development for the long
term seems unattainable to the policy makers. This paper shows the environmental
problems of the respective residential neighborhood. The purpose of the paper is to
understand the concept of sustainable urban development and to formulate a
sustainable condition where the pollution is less. It is found that the current urban
structure is such whereas the population has been started decentralizing over the
time. With this process, more and more traffic flows have been increased towards
central city and transferred from public transport to the private transports.

This report is made to show identify all the different parts of around our
neighborhood, analysis the pollutions and suggest a suitable solution of those
problems.
 CONTENTS

Topics Pages
1. Introduction …….…………………….………………………. 01

2. Objectives ………………….……….………………………… 01

3. About Dhaka City ……………………….…………………… 02

 Map of Dhaka City

4. Methodology ………………………………………………… 04

 Satellite Map of My Area

5. Observation ……………………….………………………….. 06

 Sketch Map of My Area

6. Recommendation …………………….………………………. 10

7. Conclusion …..……………………….………………………. 10

8. References ………………………….………………………… 11
 INTRODUCTION
Dhaka alike most cities of the developing world is a poorly managed city, which
leads to the deterioration of urban living conditions. Urban poverty results because
in many countries, national and local governments cannot plan for the population
increases, and fail to provide the required infrastructure, services and jobs.

Due to urbanization the environment’s harmony and balance is facing a critical

phase worldwide, strained trying to fulfill the demands of city life. Dhaka is not
beyond this status, so we need to work more to protect our city from environmental
degradation and create the natural balance.

Because Dhaka is the capital of the country, in our present governance system,
national policy formation/reformation and for media campaign, it is very important
to initiate the ground work at Dhaka first. If the program becomes streamlined at this
city, it can easily expand to another divisional headquarters and other towns as well
as influence the whole country.

OBJECTIVES
 Descriptions of the problems.

 Identify the pollutions (noise, dust, smoke, etc.)

 Identify the environmental clean areas.

 The effects of traffic on neighborhood.

  Garbage management.

ABOUT DHAKA CITY

Dhaka, the capital and the most populated city of Bangladesh, is a member of the “Mega-City”
family of the world. Dhaka, the fifth largest mega city, comprises Dhaka City Corporation (DCC)
and five adjacent municipal areas i.e. Savar, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Kadamrasul and Tongi. The
area of Dhaka mega city is 1,353 km² of which DCC occupies 276 km² (BBS, 2001). According to
United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) the total population of Dhaka mega city is now over 12.3
million of which population of DCC is about 8.4 million. According to Bangladesh Bureau of
Statistics, population of Dhaka mega city and DCC is about 9.9 millions and 5.3 millions,
respectively. The population density of DCC is 19,286 per km² which is more than double of the
mega city average of 7,918 per km². The city is situated between 23°42' and 23°54' north latitudes
and 90°20' and 90°28' east longitudes. It is surrounded by the river Buriganga on the south, Turag
on the west, Tongi khal on the north and Balu river on the east (Banglapedia, 2003). The city
usually experiences characteristics of tropical monsoon climate with an annual average
temperature of 25°C and 2000 mm of average annual rainfall (DOE and IUCN, 2000; Bangla,
2000). There are a number of service providing organizations. Of them, the key organizations are
Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Dhaka Water and Sewerage
Authority (DWASA), Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA), Titas Gas Limited, Bangladesh
Telephone and Telegraph Board (BTTB), Rajdhani Unnyan Kortripakhkha (RAJUK), Dhaka
Electricity Supply Company (DESCO) and Department of Environment (DoE) serving city
dwellers with specific utilities. Apart from these, health, education, planning, housing,
transportation and other infrastructure related organizations do exist in the city area. Area under
jurisdiction of different authorities serving Dhaka also varies. Dhaka Metropolitan Area (DMA) is
somewhat larger than the DCC, and currently holds 21 Police Stations. Dhaka Statistical
Metropolitan Area (DSMA), which is considered as Dhaka Mega city. Rajdhani Unnayan
Kartripakkha (RAJUK) has a Strategic Planning Zone-wise definition of Dhaka city which is
known as Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP). It currently consists of total 26 zones
of which 19 may cover Dhaka Statistical Metropolitan Area, though the total area is about 1528
km². Boundary of different authorities, and built up and low-lying areas of Dhaka city given in
Figure 1.2a and 1.2b respectively. But it is true that most people think that Dhaka means the
municipal corporation and few adjoining developed areas like Mirpur, Uttara, and Baridhara.
 Figure: Map of Dhaka City

METHODOLGY
Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh was selected for assessing exiting environmental
condition and preparing the State of Environment for assisting informed decision making.
Department of Environment, Ministry of Environment and Forest commissioned
Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, a leading research organization of Bangladesh,
as Collaborating Centre of UNEP to prepare the report with support from UNEP.RRC.AP.
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP). There are key environmental issues identified for
preparing Environmental Problems of The Respective Residential Neighborhood.

The assessment of this report is providing the following conditions:

 This report is essentially an analysis of a specific urban area (my respective

neighborhood) and its context that is the Respective Residential neighborhood.

 A brief sketch of the residential area would be made.

 After that good sides and bad sides of that specific area will be show.

 Observation around my neighborhood.

 Recommendation to solve/ minimize environmental problems.

 Figure: Satellite Map of my Area

OBSERVATION
It can be seen that the report shows the levels for a community of all income groups. This was
never materialized fully by government. One of the positive aspects is that it generated the growth
of Dhaka towards the north. The problems that resulted may be broadly classified as of planning
stage and implementation stage. A portion of the township of about 950 acres were detailed out
covering only that portion which was enmarked as housing for high income group in the original
plan.

I live in the area which is near to the Zia International Airport, Uttara, Dhaka.
The name of my area is Ashkona. It is under the Dakkhin-khan Thaana.

This is Zia International Airport situated in a distance of 10 minutes from my home.

In my area, there is the only Hajj camp of Bangladesh. Every year more than thousands of people
come here and stays till before going to Makka-Sharifh to perform Hajj.
In my area the transport to go here & there is rickshaw. There have many stands where anyone can
easily find rickshaws. Individuals of this area who has private transports goes with their own cars.

There are two bazaars, one is very near to my home and another is near to the Hajj Camp.
In my area I have seen that there lives different types of people. Most of them are service
holder and a fewer of them are govt. officer. As it is an area near to the Zia International
airport, there are few high-rise buildings. Here builders are not allowed to build above 6
floors. So people builds there houses below the limit.

Though my area is very crowded and populated with people, jam is not a big problem. Because in
my area, there are several traffic police who maintains the traffic. So we can easily pass through
the roads without any delay.
Regular waste management is done in my area. The authority monitors this task every time. There
is seen two times of waste collection here. One is in the morning and another time is in the
evening.

RECOMMENDATION
With rapid urbanization and excessive growth of population and settlements, the city failed to
upgrade its road transport and network system, even though the growth of motor vehicles per year
is about 6-7%, which is equal to or may even be more than the average population growth.

Too much expansion of the city distorts the environmental harmony. On the edge of Dhaka, the
masses are expanding without considering the environmental balance. The real estate companies
are only considering their business. They do not think about future life and environmental
conditions. They are not concerned about the environment and bio-diversity. The wildlife (like
guest birds that come from Siberia, every winter) animal and fishes who live in the water-bodies
are balancing our ecosystem. If the city continues to grow recklessly like this, after 10 years,
Dhaka will be a city of material and machine, not of life….

We should start different campaign to minimize environmental hazards and how we can improve
our environment more livable for all the living organisms like humans and other species.

If we raise our voices, we can hope that we will live our life more and more.

CONCLUSION
A large number of people are involved in industrial and utility service jobs, but most of the
industries do not adopt precautionary and safety measures for the workers. People may still be
unaware about the environment, how it gets polluted and why it should be protected. Lack of
awareness and services have identified as major cause behind it. Many farmers in the city area use
pesticides but they are not aware of the harmful effects of these in the long run and how these
should be handled and applied.
The analytical result shows that all environmental resources are declining at different pace and
scale. Degradation of environment is posing, among other, significant health threats for the city
dwellers. Generally enforcement of environmental laws, rules, and regulation is very weak due to a
number of reasons.

REFERENCES
Banglapedia (National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh) (2003).
http://search.com.bd/banglapedia

Google Earth for Satellite Map.

http://googleearth.com