More than half of the world's people live in cities where approximately 25 to 30 per cent of Bangladesh population inhabits the urban areas. Over 90 per cent of urban growth has been occurring in the developing world with an estimated 70 million new residents to urban areas each year. During the next two decades, the urban population of the world's two poorest regions, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, is expected to double.
Both natural population growth and rural-to-urban migration contribute to urban growth. Cities provide opportunities for many, particularly the poor who are attracted by greater job prospects, the availability of services, and for some, an escape from constraining social and cultural traditions in rural villages. Yet city life can also present conditions of overcrowded living, congestion, unemployment, lack of social and community networks, stark inequalities, and social problems such as crimes and violence.
Many of those who migrate to cities benefit from the opportunities in urban areas. Others, often those with low skill levels, may be left behind and find themselves struggling with the day-to-day challenges of city life.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has been implementing a project in Dhaka city for improving livelihoods of the poor and extreme poor people, especially women and girls. The metropolis couldn't be freed from poverty and hunger until preparation of an effective and time-fitting plan of action is carried out.
There are too many programmes for the rural poor but not many for their urban counterparts, whose numbers are on the rise. While there are many government initiatives for poverty reduction and social safety nets, many of them discontinue with changes of government. Bangladeshis are very good at starting things but not at sustaining them. Efforts to depoliticise the poverty-reduction issue is important but it is in fact still a political issue. We need political will and an integrated approach to reduce poverty involving the government.
Haphazard initiatives to reduce poverty will not yield desired results. A unified approach is needed to ensure poverty alleviation and its sustainability. An integrated approach involving the government, NGOs and private sector is needed to reduce poverty and injustice to the poor. Poverty is a political issue and it can't be eradicated without equal focus on economic growth, more employment opportunities, education and wider social safety nets for the poor. Poverty reduction initiatives face various sustainability challenges. One is the issue of securing the livelihoods of the poor people and another is political economy which is by and large hostile to the interest of the poor. The poor are extremely powerless and distressed. They are deprived of information and power.
shahana_bilkis@yahoo.com
Addressing urban poverty in Bangladesh
Shahana Bilkis | Published: January 08, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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