Resilience to Water-Related Disasters: Risks, Vulnerabilities and Coping Strategies in Dhaka

Abstract

Climate change has become one of the major developmental concerns of countries in the Bay of Bengal region, which is already causing setbacks such as flooding, waterlogging, and drinking water problem. Around 3.49 billion people or more than half the world’s population lives in urban area, of which 827.6 million are slum dwellers. Dhaka the mega city of Bangladesh covering an area of 360 km² contains more than 20.0 million people that noticeably creates huge burden on water-related disaster, especially flooding. Dhaka receives about 2,000 mm of rainfall annually, of which almost 80% falls during the monsoon. Water crisis is a major problem in Dhaka city due to overexploitation of groundwater and limitations in water supply throughout the city. On the other hand, floods are also one of the main natural hazards affecting the city and are associated with river water overflow, groundwater depletion due to overexploitation of water during dry period, and rainwater stagnation. The drainage capacity of the city has also decreased alarmingly due to the development of unauthorized settlements. Illegal occupation of drainage canals and wetlands by land grabbers has further contributed to the problem. Furthermore, the risk of drought and subsequently flooding is aggravated through rapid urbanization and concurrent encroachment on retention areas, as well as increasing problems with both the natural and man-made drainage system. Therefore, this paper explores the risk and vulnerabilities of water-related disasters and their management framework, which has now been accepted by the government as well as causes of water crisis in Dhaka city with their possible remediation strategies. It is envisaged that the concepts put forward in this framework will be of immense value in planning future strategies to cope with the problem of flooding and water crisis in Dhaka city.