The two city corporations of Dhaka in collaboration with two international platforms have launched the first-ever climate action plan (CAP) for the capital city, aiming to improve liveability here.
The plan will serve as a roadmap for the mega city to become carbon-neutral by 2050, aligning to Bangladesh's national commitment of conditional emissions reduction target of 89.47 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (MTCO2e) by 2030.
The CAP unveiling ceremony was held at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban in the Dhaka University (DU) campus on Sunday, according to a statement.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury attended the event as the chief guest while Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, DU Vice-Chancellor ASM Maksud Kamal and Executive Director of 'C40 Cities' Mark Watts were the special guests.
The city corporations are collaborating with the C40 Cities and ICLEI South Asia to implement the action plan.
Speaking on the occasion, Saber Hossain Chowdhury said the CAP will play an important role in making Dhaka clean, green and lively.
"Although there are two city corporations in Dhaka, this action plan will be implemented as one Dhaka," he said.
Underscoring the need for greenery, he said a special satellite image is being prepared for Dhaka, through which it will be determined where to plant trees.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam said Dhaka's climate action plan, which includes robust targets to improve city-wide heat resilience, healthcare, water supply and waste water treatment, is a reflection of the city's ambition and dedication towards a low-carbon future and improving the quality of life of its citizens.
Mayor Taposh said that in spite of having lower per-capita emissions, the DSCC area is experiencing the adverse effects of climate change driven by global warming.
"The DSCC addresses climate change as a major humanitarian crisis and we have taken strategic measures on priority basis to protect the environment," he said.
Shruti Narayan, Managing Director, Regions, C40 Cities and Executive Director of the ICLEI South Asia Emani Kumar spoke on the occasion among others.
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