Fourth Annual National Conference on Urban Resilience to Climate Change

Bangladesh has been experiencing rapid growth in urban population for the last few decades. This growth follows an imbalanced spatial distribution, mostly directed towards Dhaka- the capital city. More than 60 percent of Bangladesh’s urban population is concentrated in four major cities: Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, and Rajshahi. By 2035, nearly 110 million people are expected to inhabit urban areas in the country, constituting about half of its total population. Migration from rural climate-stricken areas to urban-developed areas is common. Better Economic factors and public facilities in the cities contribute toward rural-urban migration. Additionally, climatic events including flood, cyclone, riverbank erosion, saline water intrusion and drought, are key drivers contributing to migration into major cities. The growth of informal settlements, housing development projects, and associated infrastructure construction are occurring at the cost of loss (or degradation) of natural resources, thereby affecting residents’ wellbeing.