The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working relentlessly to ensure carbon-free, sustainable, safe and affordable housing and planned urbanization.
State Minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed made the remarks at a discussion organised by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works on the occasion of World Habitat Day at the Osmani Memorial auditorium in the capital on Monday.
He said, “Unplanned urbanization, industrialization and overuse of fossil fuels are increasing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. As a result, global warming is increasing alarmingly through the greenhouse effect and the number and severity of natural disasters are increasing.”
The state minister said that due to its geographical location in Bangladesh, Bangladesh has high possibilities of the adverse effects of climate change. In addition to the developed countries, developing countries like Bangladesh also need to pay special attention to the impact of climate change.
Read more: Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan lauded in London
“Urban areas account for only 2pc of the world's land area. However, 70pc of the total carbon emissions are emitted from these urban areas. Reducing carbon emissions through integrated urban development and planned urbanization will greatly control the world's total carbon emissions,” he said.
He further said that according to UN Habitat, proper use of modern technology could reduce carbon emissions from buildings by up to 58 percent. The government is working to implement the promise of the Prime Minister to build a developed and prosperous Bangladesh by 2041.
As part of this, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works has taken various steps to ensure housing for all.
The government is always striving to provide housing for all by ensuring optimal use of land through proper planning and research, he said.
The state minister added that the issue of environmental protection is being given priority in all kinds of development activities. Use of advanced technology in construction of residential facilities, environmentally friendly construction materials, energy efficient system, rainwater harvesting, own sewage treatment plant and adequate greening are being provided, he added.
“The government is working to ensure green building technology through the application of landscaping, solar power, etc. in the construction of buildings,” said the state minister.
UNDP Resident Representative in Bangladesh Sudipta Mukherjee was present as the special guest at the discussion meeting chaired by Secretary of Ministry of Housing and Public Works Mohammad Shahid Ullah Khandaker.
Dr Khurshid Jabin Haque, Director, Urban Development Department, Manjurur Rahman, Chief Architect, Department of Architecture, Ashraful Alam, Director General, Housing and Building Research Institute and Shamim Akhter, Chief Engineer, Department of Public Works spoke.
At the end of the program, the state minister unveiled a special memorandum published by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works on the occasion of World Habitat Day-2021.
World Habitat Day, declared by UN Habitat, has been observed on the first Monday of October every year since 1986.
This year, the theme of the day is 'Accelerating Urban Action for a Carbon Free World'.