Ensuring a healthy environment
M. Abul Kalam Azad reflects on matters green
For the last few centuries urban development has been designed and followed in a way which has proved to be self-destructive. Unabated exploitation and consumption of natural resources has damaged the world's ecosystem and the livelihood of its inhabitants. Issues such as inclusion of community people and their opinions, and protection of the environment have hardly been considered in making these development plans. As a resultant, only a section of citizens has enjoyed benefits, depriving the rest. Green Development, a concept that is gaining new ground nowadays, can be a solution to this imperfect development design. The new idea focuses on a path of growth which is ecologically, socially and politically sustainable, addressing issues of environmental protection and equitable distribution of resources among different groups of people.
The book, Green Development: Man, Ecology and Equity—Revisiting the Misunderstood Reality, elaborates on this issue. It emphasizes the need for a policy shift and notes that the planet cannot be exploited in unlimited manner. Not the now practiced top-down or bottom-up planning approach that you get here. The book focuses on a new idea and vision that recognises the importance of community people's involvement in the decision-making process of development planning; incorporates their opinions; and consumes resources by taking into account the reality that this planet does not belong to us only but also to future generations.
Bangladesh is moving towards socio-economic development and yet preserving the environment in that process has been a big challenge. The book explains the need for new research. It stresses that ideas and concepts based on knowledge are needed to overcome the challenge.
Before the writing of the book, a project was undertaken to make a green development plan along the Sagardi canal in Barisal town by involving students and community people. The outcome of the exercise has vividly been illustrated in the book. Travelling on boats, the participants saw the Sagardi canal and its adjoining areas, identified the problems, resources and recommended solutions. The book demonstrates how powerful and rich people exploit and consume resources, causing suffering to the rest. Differences between people inhabiting either side of the canal is easily understandable. On one side the inhabitants do not depend on the canal or its water. There are buildings, factories and many other important establishments which leave all kinds of waste materials in the canal. On the other side, people living in tin-shed or thatched houses depend on the canal for bathing, washing dishes and clothes, and cooking.
The writer, Khondker Neaz Rahman, who is the project manager of the UNDP's Green Brick Project, gives an idea about how serious the students and community people were in identifying resources with their livelihood, detecting problems relating to the canal and its adjoining areas and preparing a plan. A preservation of the environment, best use of canals, wetlands, and smooth transportation and communication using canals, wetlands and less expensive modes of travel ---all are incorporated in the well-thought-out plan. The green development plan was shared with 1200 students and presented to bureaucrats, political leaders and officials of Barisal City Corporation.
The book shows that the small scale project can be an eye opener for our government, architects and city planners, who can build on it and take steps for implementation. It, however, is marked by a few limitations. For example, it does not show how the new plan can be synchronized with the "Master Plan for Barisal Divisional Town". The master plan, which was approved in 2011 through a gazette notification and incorporated the idea of Urban Government, is to be executed in three phases –structure plan, urban area plan and detailed area plan in the next 20 years.
Even so, the green development plan prepared by students and community people can be regarded as a stepping stone for the Bangladesh government to build upon.
Published by UNDP the book is available at UNDP's Green Brick Project office at IDB Bhaban
M Abul Kalam Azad is Senior Reporter, The Daily Star.
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