Climate Disaster Resilience of Dhaka City Corporation: An Empirical Assessment at Zone Level

Abstract

Abstract Along with the threat of climate change and its related hazards, rapid urban growth is leading to unplanned urbanization, high population density and environmental degradation of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Already the severity of climate‐related hazards, especially flooding, is increasing. It is predicted that among the coastal mega‐cities Dhaka would be the most vulnerable to climate change. This research measures the existing level of climate disaster resilience of Dhaka City Corporation by assessing the problems and potentialities in different sectors. The Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI) was calculated for 10 different zones of Dhaka City Corporation. CDRI analysis comprises five different dimensions (physical, social, economic, institutional and natural), 25 parameters and 125 variables (development issues). Findings show that besides location, the utility services, accessibility to roads, housing and land‐use, health, social capital and environmental conditions are each playing a role in determining the resilience level of different zones. It is interesting to note that the planned residential areas have relatively higher levels of climate disaster resilience, while old parts of the city and densely populated low income areas have lower levels of resilience. Dhaka, being the primate city of the country, continuously faces numerous challenges and opportunities. It is expected that by utilizing CDRI results in policy formulation and development planning, these challenges could be minimized and opportunities enhanced, leading to a more resilient city in the future.