Eminent urban planner Prof Nazrul Islam has stressed the need for undertaking climate-sensitive plans for the country’s cities to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change in the coming days.
“When you (urban planners) will be involved in planning for a city, the plan has to be climate-sensitive,” he told a seminar in the capital on Sunday.Urban Development Directorate (UDD) and UN-Habitat jointly organized the workshop on ‘Mainstreaming Climate Change Concerns into National Urban related Policies’ at the conference room of the Public Works Department.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Nazrul Islam said the city authorities do not show willingness to undertake climate-sensitive planning, but rural people design their houses considering climate sensitivity and build in high places so that floods cannot affect them.
“How would a climate-sensitive city be built?” he explained, “Rainfall and temperature will have to be considered in taking up climate-sensitive planning for a city.”
The urban planner informed that use of air conditioning in cities contributes to the rise of urban temperature. “Temperature has been increasing in Beijing by three to four degrees due to use of air conditioners.”
He suggested setting up city planning development department in every city authority in the country to introduce climate-sensitive urban planning.- UNB
