Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction into Land Use Planning: Experience of Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is highly exposed to different kinds of natural hazards, including cyclone, flood, landslide, and drought. Due to its geographical location and historical evidence of seismic events, the country is considered to be highly vulnerable to earthquake, especially its fast-growing urban centers. Rapid urbanization without proper guidance has led to haphazard development of many urban centers. The risk is growing in urban centers due to the fact that the development is taking place in the areas that are vulnerable to hazards, such as earthquake, and there is a clear absence of disaster risk assessment as a part of the land use planning process. This chapter addresses this gap by discussing one of the key initiatives of the Urban Development Directorate, Bangladesh, and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Bangkok, to encourage disaster risk reduction-inclusive land use planning in Bangladesh. This initiative is a research project, which aims at sustainable development for urban centers by making land use planning in Bangladesh disaster risk reduction inclusive. It investigates the integration of disaster risk reduction into physical/land use planning with a specific objective of promoting risk assessment in the plan preparation. The key outcomes of this project include a framework for integrating disaster risk reduction into the methodology of land use plan preparation in Bangladesh, a comprehensive list of hazard data required for land use/physical plans in the country, and key recommendations for future improvements of integration of disaster risk reduction into land use planning in Bangladesh. Moreover, the outcomes have been applied in the preparation of the Mymensingh Strategic Development Plan. Further, the chapter also discusses the overall challenges and issues related to preparation of urban land use plans in Bangladesh by the urban development authorities and municipalities and how such issues and challenges may influence the implementation of project outcomes. Finally, the conclusion and way forward discusses issues and options for addressing the risk of the urban poor community through risk-inclusive land use planning in general as well as in Bangladesh.