Germany for sophisticated long-term BD urban planning

German Ambassador in Dhaka Dr Thomas Prinz on Thursday said Dhaka is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and a sophisticated and long-term urban planning that relies on reliable data is essential to manage the inflow of people into Bangladesh's metropolis. "Urbanisation is one of the megatrends of this century. More and more people are moving to cities searching for job opportunities or adjusting to the impacts of climate change in rural Bangladesh," he said. The diplomat made the remarks while visiting the Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) in the city. The institution conducts systematic geological mapping and geoscientific activities throughout the country. The organisation is supported by German development cooperation funds that are provided by BGR, the German Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources. By conducting a joint project, the two institutions cooperate on gathering, increasing and improving the available geological data that is necessary for urban planning in Bangladesh. The joint German-Bangladeshi project "Geo-Information for Urban Planning" was kicked off in 2013 and will be finalised in 2016, according to a news agency, according to a news agency.