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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG)

AND MACRO ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
SDG 11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES & COMMUNITIES
G102: BANGLADESH STUDIES

SUBMITTED TO:
Prof. Sheikh Morshed Jahan
Associate Professor & Course Instructor

SUBMITTED BY:
Team A4, BBA 28TH Batch
Shams Ishraq (3)
Mehedi Hasan Mahir (5)
Abir Ershad (17)
Shirsha Rohan Roy (21)
Sams Uddin Biswas (25)
Ryan Ahmed (27)
Mashrif Hasan Adib (29)
Moazzem Hossain Khan (39)
Zinat Maliha (51)
Raisa Mahjabin (65)
Mohammad Zabir (67)
Adib Mahmud (69)
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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

19 March, 2020
Prof. Sheikh Morshed Jahan
Associate Professor
Institute of Business Administration
University of Dhaka

Dear Sir,

We, the students of Team A4 BBA 28th Batch, have prepared this mini report on
“Sustainable Development Goals 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities” that you had
assigned to us as a requirement for completion of our G102: Bangladesh Studies Course. We
have studied the history, background and subsequent challenges that have followed through
desk research for the formation of this report. Throughout this report, you will find an
analysis of the SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, followed by recommendations
to improve the status quo.

This was a challenging task, but was also rather enlightening in the larger scheme. It has led
us to achieve a better understanding of the SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, its
operation module, and its many inadequacies. We are truly indebted to you for your moral
support and kind regard in this matter.

Please note that this report has been completed under your supervision and guidance. Under
no circumstances will this report be reproduced for any other BBA (IBA) course. No part of
this report will be shared or republished without your authorization.

Yours Sincerely,

Members of Team A4, BBA 28th Batch

Shams Ishraq (3)
Mehedi Hasan Mahir (5)
Abir Ershad (17)
Shirsha Rohan Roy (21)
Sams Uddin Biswas (25)
Ryan Ahmed (27)
Mashrif Hasan Adib (29)
Moazzem Hossain Khan (39)
Zinat Maliha (51)
Raisa Mahjabin (65)
Mohammad Zabir (67)
Adib Mahmud (69)
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ABSTRACT
Recent global policy discourses orchestrated under the aegis of the United Nations, such as
the Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030) and the New Urban Agenda of UN Habitat,
stress upon the need for concerted focus at the city and the community scale — not only to
achieve long-term developmental objectives but also to make direct tangible benefits to the
quality of lives of the people. The world at large is gradually taking an urban turn, as more
and more people are moving to the cities. Cities account for 55% of the population, produce
85% of the global GDP but also 75% of the greenhouse gas emissions. The issues of global
sustainability cannot be addressed, without strongly addressing sustainability at the urban
scale. The research highlights research and action points for urban governance systems to
mainstream sustainability concerns through their local planning and development mechanism.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As of 2018, 4.2 billion people of the world’s population live in cities. By 2050, this number is
expected to reach 6.5 billion. On the other hand, 828 million people are estimated to live in
slums, and the number is still rising. The 2030 agenda for Sustainable development offer a
renewed opportunity for the global community to confront and tackle several global
challenges. This report focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. To get to the core of this issue, it is important
to understand the impacts of urbanization, identify the key areas of improvement, and work
towards the possible solutions.
Transformation into cities is the inevitable future of every region of every nation. Hence a
vital aspect of this development would be to ensure that this growth is well monitored and
properly guided. The issues of global sustainability cannot be addressed, without strongly
addressing sustainability at the urban scale. The Sustainable Cities and Communities aims to
achieve just this and much more.
It is important to remember that all the goals, challenges and opportunities under the SDG
scheme of 2030 are interlinked, meaning that any involvement in one area would influence
some other target. This interconnection is what makes this plan so effective, yet a bit harder
to manage and monitor. However, the global indicators have been put into place for just that.
Although not all indicators aren’t equally measurable, they are continually under
development keeping pace with advances in science and technology.
On a global scale, this paper discusses the targets and indicators involved in SDG 11. The
targets address the problems and goals pertinent to urbanization and development and aim to
improve each of the factors involved, while the indicators serve as the means for measuring
the progress. These factors include access to housing, transportation, sanitation, drainage,
water supply, waste management and basic and advanced safety measures as well as disaster
management. There will always be some limitations in working with such vast amounts of
data and variables, but this paper aimed to minimize those as much as possible, while
identifying the key challenges and possible areas of intervention.
The primary input to any planning is gathering data, and in order to plan a sustainable city,
vigorous monitoring of the facilities the population has access to. However, in many cases,
due to the absence of national and local synchronicity, regional monitoring becomes quite
hard and confusing. In addition, there is a lack of a common definition of concepts and
standards for monitoring and reporting on the performance of cities across countries, creating
yet another barrier. Nevertheless, countries are now more aware than ever and are working
towards ensuring a better life for their citizens.
Coming to the context of Bangladesh, 36.63% of the population live in urban areas as of
2018, as per the United Nations Population Division. More than 90% of these people live in
Dhaka, meaning a disproportionate amount of people and congested in the same area. This is
mainly due to massive centralization in terms of trade and administration, rendering Dhaka a
densely populated and polluted city, giving rise to problems related to i) transportation, ii)
housing, iii) pollution, iv) road safety, v) lack of green spaces, and vi) overall indecent living
conditions. Other challenges include violence/harassment, climate change, resource
inefficiency, poverty, unemployment and underemployment, vulnerability to natural
v|Page

disasters, danger to cultural and national heritage, volatile economy and the lack of
infrastructure development. It is to be mentioned that these problems are prevalent in almost
all the urban areas of the country, but most intense at the capital.
The data and findings of this report carefully analyses the recent status of the country and
how it has progressed or plans to progress in the coming years, be it policy making or
implementation projects. There are challenges in tackling all the areas, as will be evident
throughout the report, but the underlying cause for most of them can be traced back to
inefficient administration and the lack of urgency in terms of actual implementations of
policies, which slows the country down ever so greatly.
However, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has made a great deal of progress, be it in
terms of policy proposition or implementation, in mitigating poor sanitation, improving water
supply, disaster management, preservation of culture and heritage, and engagement of more
people in sustainable development endeavors. In addition, the 7th five-year plan of
Bangladesh has also incorporated almost all the global goals. These are significant areas of
improvement; however, further development is a must. With that in mind, this paper tries to
identify and recommend solutions to several key challenges that the country is facing in
meeting the targets. We can hope that these barriers can soon be overcome and a prosperous
Bangladesh will come into being.
 Table of Contents
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL ..............................................................................................ii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ iii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Objectives .................................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Scope ........................................................................................................................... 2
1.4 Methodology ............................................................................................................... 2
CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION TO SDG 11...................................................................... 3
2.1 Global Indicator Framework ............................................................................................ 3
2.1.1 Constituents of The Global Indicator Framework .................................................... 3
2.2 What Are The Sustainable Development Goals?............................................................. 4
2.3 What is Sustainable Development Goal 11? ............................................................... 4
2.3.1 Defining Cities & Urban Areas............................................................................ 5
2.3.2 Role of Cities & Human Settlements ................................................................... 5
2.4 SDG 11 in 2030: Targets & Indicators ....................................................................... 6
2.5 2020 Comprehensive Review Proposals: 51st Session ................................................ 8
2.5.1 Replacement Indicator Proposals ......................................................................... 8
2.5.2 Revisions To Existing Indicators ......................................................................... 8
2.5.3 Proposed Deletions .............................................................................................. 8
2.6 SDG 11 Linkage with Other SDG .............................................................................. 9
2.7 SDG 11: Other International Targets & National Policy .......................................... 10
2.7.1 International Agenda .......................................................................................... 10
2.7.2 National Policy................................................................................................... 10
CHAPTER 3: MONITORING SDG 11 PROGRESS ........................................................ 11
3.1 Global Level................................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Global Monitoring of SDG 11 ....................................................................................... 11
3.3 National Level ................................................................................................................ 12
3.3.1 Policy & Institutional Level .................................................................................... 12
3.3.2 Technical & Statistical Level .................................................................................. 12
3.3.3 Training & Capacity Development Level ............................................................... 12
3.3.4 Partnership Level .................................................................................................... 12
3.4 City Prosperity Initiative (CPI) ...................................................................................... 13
CHAPTER 4: SDG 11 & BANGLADESH .......................................................................... 14
4.1 Status of SDG 11 in Bangladesh .................................................................................... 14
4.1.1 Metrics For Urbanization ........................................................................................ 14
4.1.2 Issues To Overcome ................................................................................................ 14
4.2 Government Projects & Endeavors ................................................................................ 16
4.3 SDG Integration in Bangladesh Policy .......................................................................... 19
4.4 Key Challenges of SDG 11 in Bangladesh .................................................................... 20
4.5 Data Gap Identification in Bangladesh SDG 11 Monitoring ......................................... 22
4.6 SDG 11 Under COVID-19............................................................................................. 25
CHAPTER 5: KEY FINDINGS ........................................................................................... 26
CHAPTER 6: RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................. 30
6.1 Opportunities For Jobs and Enterprises ........................................................................ 31
6.2 Healthy and Affordable Accommodation ...................................................................... 31
6.3 Pollution & Waste .......................................................................................................... 32
6.4 Better Public Transportation .......................................................................................... 32
6.5 Green Public Spaces ...................................................................................................... 32
6.6 Preventing Violation & Harassment of Women ............................................................ 32
6.7 Poverty ........................................................................................................................... 33
6.8 Better Urban Planning.................................................................................................... 33
6.9 Greater Inclusion ............................................................................................................ 33
6.10 Road Safety .................................................................................................................. 33
6.11 Infrastructure ................................................................................................................ 34
6.12 Climate Change ............................................................................................................ 35
CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION.............................................................................................. 36
CHAPTER 8: APPENDIX .................................................................................................... 37
CHAPTER 9: REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 39
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background
While launching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Ban Ki-Moon, the former
Secretary-General of the United Nations, noted that ‘Cities are where the battle for
sustainable development will be won or lost’ (Fabre 2017, p. 4). Urbanization has become a
defining phenomenon of the twenty-first century, as we are increasingly living in an urban
world. In 1950, the world was predominantly rural, as global urbanization level was 30%. By
2050, the scenario is projected to reverse, as urbanization level is expected to reach 70% (UN
2018).
Cities are the hubs of innovation, employment and wealth generation. Urban areas already
account for 55% of the global population and produce 85% of the global GDP. But the way
the processes of urbanization are unfolding is also deeply problematic. Urban wastes are
polluting our air, water and soil resources, and cities account for 75% of the greenhouse gas
emissions. Therefore, the issues of global sustainability cannot be addressed, without strongly
addressing the question of urban sustainability.
Recognizing the importance of the cities in contemporary world, the UN General Assembly
in 2015 decided to adopt ‘sustainable cities and communities’ as a distinct goal (SDG 11)
under Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030). The overarching aim of SDG 11 is to
make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Recent global
policy discourses orchestrated under the aegis of the United Nations, such as COP 24, Paris
Agreement (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) and the New Urban Agenda of
UN Habitat stress upon the need for concerted focus at the city and the community scale —
not only to achieve long-term developmental objectives but also to make direct tangible
benefits to the quality of lives of the people.

1.2 Objectives
The objectives of this report on SDG and their Macroeconomic Performances may be
categorized into two criteria; they are as follows:

Broad Objective: The broad objective of this study is to explore the opportunities and
challenges of SDG 11, not only to achieve long-term developmental objectives but also to
make direct tangible benefits to the quality of lives of the people.

Specific Objectives: The tracking of progress and finance for implementing SDG11 needs to
be strengthened. Considering that the SDG 11 will be implemented mostly at the local level,
local level reporting and accountability should be promoted.

• Ensuring proper implementation of the tasks in Bangladesh

• How the tasks are being monitored

• Positive effects of the tasks being implemented

• Improvements to the monitoring process of the tasks

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1.3 Scope

One aspect that sets Goal 11 apart from most of the other SDGs, is the need to monitor and
report progress for selected indicators at the local level and report progress at the national
level. This requires every country to collect data for monitoring selected indicators under this
Goal for all its cities, then aggregate all the city-level measures to a single national level
measure that would represent the country. This is a challenging task for most countries for
two main reasons:

1. Cities are defined differently between and within countries, making global
comparison difficult.

2. Some countries have many cities irrespective of how they are defined, yet they
lack the required capacity to monitor them effectively.

These two challenges are critical to defining the scope of measurement for selected SDG 11
indicators, and custodian agencies together with their other partners are working to surmount
these difficulties. Secondly, there is need for a universal definition as to what constitutes a
city or an urban area for purposes of global monitoring. In the last two years, discussions on a
global city definition have featured prominently at various urban forums, including the 2018
World Urban Forum, or during specialized urban expert group meetings organized by
custodian agencies, and at the United Nations World Data Forum 2017.

1.4 Methodology
A comprehensive literature review was conducted focusing on SDG 11 as the analytical
framework to explore how the transformative force of urbanization represents opportunity
and challenge to meet several other sustainability challenges. The research highlights
research and action points for urban governance systems to mainstream sustainability
concerns through their local planning and development mechanism. The Sustainable
Development Goals have adopted a comprehensive systems approach. The targets and
indicators of the 17 SDGs are tied in such a manner that pursuance of one goal often leads to
cascading benefits. City as a spatial platform offers opportunities to address sustainability
concerns in a range of sectoral infrastructure domains, such as transportation, energy, water,
education and healthcare through regulatory, fiscal, planning and managerial instruments,
which provided the participants a clear demonstration to establish a refined research
methodology for effectively undertaking the research.

Secondary Data was obtained through desk research by the participants, focusing on
relevant scholarly articles and the United Nations official website on Sustainable
Development Goals.
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CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION TO SDG 11

2.1 Global Indicator Framework

During the 47th United Nations Statistical Commission that was held in New York, the
new SDG indicators framework was agreed upon as an initial starting point. This followed on
from the September 2015 adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by
member states where they agreed to a proposed global indicator framework for monitoring
progress against the SDG. The framework, put forward by the Inter-Agency Expert Group
on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDG), includes 231 indicators that correspond to the 17 SDG and
their 169 associated targets. The report of the commission which included the global indicator
framework was then taken note of by the ECOSOC at its 70th session in June 2016.

2.1.1 Constituents of The Global Indicator Framework

The IAEG-SDG was caught between a rock and hard place. It had the choice of credibly
covering all 169 targets or selecting only indicators for which an agreed methodology and
suitable data coverage exists. The group choose the former approach, which means that many
indicators lack a suitable methodology, country coverage is lacking, or have never been
piloted anywhere before at regional or other levels. Specifically, for Goal 11 indicators, many
are tagged at the city level, and specialized methodology is required to estimate or derive
national level performance from city-based measurements. As a result, all indicators have
been grouped into tiers I, II, III depending on their level of development.

2.2.1.1 Tiering System of Global Indicators

The SDG indicators have initially undergone an assessment in which they were split into three
main categories or “tiers” in terms of their level of methodological development and overall
data availability.
2.2.1.1.2 Tier I indicators are those for which an established and acceptable methodology
exists and data are already widely available.
2.2.1.1.3 Tier II indicators are those for which an established methodology exists, but data
is not easily available.
2.2.1.1.4 Tier III indicators are those for which no internationally agreed methodology
exists.

Over the course of the SDG timeline to 2030, the IAEG-SDG will refine and update the
indicators as new technologies facilitate data collection and more data becomes available.
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2.2.1.2 How Will The SDG Indicator Framework Be Used?

The expectation is that the global indicators will be the core set of SDG monitoring
indicators. However, member states will develop indicators at regional, national and sub-
national levels as appropriate, taking into account their national circumstances. Thematic
indicators are also being developed. The UN will produce an annual report on SDG progress.
There is also recognition that national ownership over monitoring processes will be key and
that data should be produced by national statistical systems. In this regard, emphasis is being
placed on statistical capacity building for countries with limited capacities.
2.2.1.3 Metadata
The UN Statistical Commission has published metadata for the goals. Information on each
indicator and further guidance on how agencies can submit new or revised data is also
available. However, for each of the targets/indicators under the goals, more metadata will be
developed to guide the entire management of the indicators with agreed definitions, methods
for measurement, reporting, disaggregation, capacity building plans, etc.

2.2 What Are The Sustainable Development Goals?

In 2015, all Member States of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG), also known as the Global Goals, as a collective call for action to end hunger,
protect the world and ensure that all people achieve health and security by 2030.

The 17 SDG are integrated — that is, they agree that change in one field will impact results
in others, and that growth has to bear in mind social, economic and environmental
sustainability. Through the pledge to leaving No One Behind, governments have agreed to
fast-track improvement for those furthest behind first. That is why the SDG are planned to
introduce many life-changing 'zeros' to the planet, including zero poverty, hunger, AIDS and
discrimination against women and girls. To achieve these ambitious targets, everybody has to
participate. To meet the SDG in any context, the innovation, know-how, technologies and
financial capital from all of society are required.

In conclusion, the SDG have been made so that humanity may flourish even more in the
future and to upgrade some of the goals from the previous MDGs, i.e. the Millennium
Development Goals. (UNDP)

2.3 What is Sustainable Development Goal 11?

Goal 11 of the SDG is named Sustainable cities and communities. About half of us live in the
cities. By 2050, 2/3 of humanity—6.5 billion people — will be metropolitan. Only by
fundamentally changing the way we create and maintain our urban environments; can
economic sustainability be accomplished.

Cities' rapid growth – the product of growing populations and increasing migration – has
contributed to a boom in mega-cities, especially in the developing world, and slums are
becoming a more important feature of urban life. Making communities sustainable means
providing opportunities for jobs and enterprises, healthy and affordable accommodation, and
developing stable neighborhoods and economies. It means investing in public transport,
building green public spaces and developing participatory and inclusive solutions to urban
planning and management. Some facts & figures regarding this are as follows:
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● In 2018, 4.2 billion people, 55 percent of the world’s population, lived in cities. By
2050, the urban population is expected to reach 6.5 billion.
● Cities occupy just 3 percent of the Earth’s land but account for 60 to 80 percent of
energy consumption and at least 70 percent of carbon emissions.
● 828 million people are estimated to live in slums, and the number is rising.
● In 1990, there were 10 cities with 10 million people or more; by 2014, the number of
mega-cities rose to 28, and was expected to reach 33 by 2018. In the future, 9 out of
10 mega-cities will be in the developing world
● In the coming decades, 90 percent of urban expansion will be in the developing world.
● The economic role of cities is significant. They generate about 80 percent of the
global GDP.

2.3.1 Defining Cities & Urban Areas

Cities and urban areas can be defined as a large human settlement which acts as a permanent
and densely settled place with administratively defined boundaries whose members work
primarily on non-agricultural jobs. A modern city is likely to have extensive systems in
housing, transportation, sanitation, utilities, land use, and communication.

Cities are hubs for innovations, industry, society, research, productivity, social development,
etc. At its best, cities have made social and economic change possible for residents. With the
number of people living in cities expected to increase to 5 billion by 2030, it is critical to
have successful urban planning and management processes in place to tackle the problems
raised by urbanization.

2.3.2 Role of Cities & Human Settlements

Cities occupy just 3 percent of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80 per cent of energy
consumption and 70 percent of carbon emissions. Many cities are also more vulnerable to
climate change and natural disasters due to their high concentration of people and location so
building urban resilience is crucial to avoid human, social and economic losses. Cities and
metropolitan regions are strongholds of economic growth — contributing about 60% of
global GDP. Yet they also account for about 70% of global carbon emissions and over 60%
of resource consumption. Half of humanity – 3.5 billion people – lives in cities today and 5
billion people are projected to live in cities by 2030. 95 percent of urban expansion in the
next decades will take place in the developing world. 883 million people live in slums today
and most them are found in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia.

From all of this data we can conclude that developed cities will be the future of the world and
therefore SDG 11 aims at making sure these cities are sustainable. Cities are a large
component of output for the world and therefore making cities sustainable is detrimental in
order for all countries of the world being able to enjoy sustainable economic growth.
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2.4 SDG 11 in 2030: Targets & Indicators

The UN has identified 10 Targets and 15 Indicators for SDG 11. Targets identify the goals
and Indicators reflect the instruments by which the world seeks to determine how such goals
are being achieved. Below is the original text of all Goals and details on the accepted
Indicators (IEAG-SDG):
11.1. By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic
services and upgrade slums
Indicator 11.1.1: Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements, or
inadequate housing
11.2. By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport
systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special
attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with
disabilities and older persons
Indicator 11.2.1: Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport, by
sex, age and persons with disabilities
11.3. By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory,
integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
Indicator 11.3.1: Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate
Indicator 11.3.2: Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in
urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically
11.4. Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
Indicator 11.4.1: Total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on the preservation,
protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by type of heritage (cultural,
natural, mixed and World Heritage Centre designation), level of government (national,
regional and local/municipal), type of expenditure (operating expenditure/investment) and
type of private funding (donations in kind, private nonprofit sector and sponsorship)
11.5. By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected
and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic
product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the
poor and people in vulnerable situations
Indicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons and persons affected by disaster per
100,000 people
Indicator 11.5.2: Direct disaster economic loss in relation to global GDP, including disaster
damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services
11.6. By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by
paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
Indicator 11.6.1: Proportion of urban solid waste regularly collected and with adequate final
discharge out of total urban solid waste generated, by cities
7|Page

Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in
cities (population weighted)
11.7. By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public
spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
Indicator 11.7.1: Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use
for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
Indicator 11.7.2: Proportion of persons victim of physical or sexual harassment, by sex, age,
disability status and place of occurrence, in the previous 12 months
11.a. Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, per-urban
and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
Indicator 11.a.1: Proportion of population living in cities that implement urban and regional
development plans integrating population projections and resource needs, by size of city
11.b. By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting
and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency,
mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and
implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030,
holistic disaster risk management at all levels
Indicator 11.b.1: Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster
risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
2015–2030
Indicator 11.b.2: Number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction
strategies
11.c. Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance,
in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials
Indicator 11.c.1: Proportion of financial support to the least developed countries that is
allocated to the construction and retrofitting of sustainable, resilient and resource efficient
buildings utilizing local materials
8|Page

2.5 2020 Comprehensive Review Proposals: 51st Session

The global indicator framework was adopted by the General Assembly in
resolution 71/313 and called for the indicator framework to be comprehensively reviewed at
the 51st session of the Statistical Commission in 2020 and the 56th session in 2025. The
proposals present a compilation of the 36 changes to the global indicator framework proposed
for the Commission’s consideration at its 51st session. The tables below present the changes
related to Goal 11 only.
2.5.1 Replacement Indicator Proposals
Code Target Current Indicator Proposed revised Indicator
11.a.1 Support positive Proportion of Number of countries that have
economic, social and population living in national urban policies or
environmental links cities that implement regional development plans
between urban, peri- urban and regional that (a) respond to population
urban and rural areas development plans dynamics, (b) ensure balanced
by strengthening integrating population territorial development, (c)
national and regional projections and increase local fiscal space
development planning. resource needs, by size
of city.

2.5.2 Revisions To Existing Indicators

Code Original Indicator
11.6.1 Proportion of urban solid waste
regularly collected and with adequate
final discharge out of total urban
solid waste generated, by cities
Proposed Refinement
Proportion of municipal solid waste
collected and managed in controlled
facilities out of total municipal solid
waste generated, by cities

2.5.3 Proposed Deletions

Code Proposed Deletion
11.c.1 Proportion of financial support to the least developed countries that is
allocated to the construction and retrofitting of sustainable, resilient and
resource-efficient buildings utilizing local materials
9|Page

2.6 SDG 11 Linkage with Other SDG

The review of the interlinkages between SDG 11 and the rest of the Sustainable Development
Goals highlighted the value of improving drainage and flood protection (target 9.1) coupled
with infrastructure improvements as critical to reducing the environmental effect of cities and
enhancing the positive health effects (target 3.9) of urban dwellers, as well as increasing
urban resilience to natural and climate change induced cataclysms. Water-sensitive/resilient
urban layout would translate to improved water management, including stormwater,
groundwater and wastewater management and water supply; IWRM (target 6.5) implemented
in urban environments combined with solid waste management (target 12.4) could prohibit
dangerous chemicals from contaminating the water-related ecosystem and avoid
contamination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats (target 14.3, target 15.3) from human
settlements. Certain elements of the SDG system must also be discussed in order to achieve
equitable and sustainable urbanization. Due to population growth in cities, there is a need to
promote healthy, frequent and responsible migration and mobility of people (target 10.7),
since growing cities are contributing to increased waste generation and pollution. For this
purpose, improvements in output and usage (targets 12.3, 12.4 and 12.5) must also be made
in order to minimize and even eliminate cities from being vulnerable to climate change and
natural disasters. Investing in technological development and innovation is necessary in order
to achieve infrastructure improvements (targets 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 and 9.4) such as sustainable
transport systems (target 11.2). Ensuring access to secure and affordable housing and
essential services (target 11.1) will increase health and protection, enhance access to proper
sanitation and safe drinking water (targets 6.1 and 6.2), minimize the effect of contagious
diseases and maternal and infant mortality (targets 3.2 and 3.3). (UNESCAP)
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2.7 SDG 11: Other International Targets & National Policy

2.7.1 International Agenda

SDG 11 is closely tied with the New Urban Agenda, which was adopted in 2016. The New
Urban Agenda is a roadmap for building cities that can serve as engines of prosperity and
centers of cultural and social well-being while protecting the environment. The Agenda also
provides guidance for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and provides the
underpinning for actions to address climate change. The NUA requires the signatory
countries to frame respective National Urban Policies – as a framework to drive urban
sustainability targets. These policies are expected to guide and monitor urban development
priorities to accomplish sustainable development agenda 2030.
2.7.2 National Policy
Bangladesh’s National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction (NSAPR I and NSAPR II,
GOB, 2005 and 2009) highlights how urbanization could help reduce poverty and
recommends a holistic approach to tackle urban poverty and support economic growth.
NSAPR II categorically supports this view, and emphasizes the importance of comprehensive
urban development and an integrated approach to urbanization. (ADB, 2016)
The Committee for Urban Local Governments (2004–2006) carried out a comprehensive
policy assessment and drafted the National Urban Sector Policy. In finalizing the
comprehensive urban policy, the government also took into account sector policies such as
the National Housing Policy (1993), the Bangladesh Urban Shelter Review (1993), the
Bangladesh National Habitat Report (1996), the National Water Policy (1998), the National
Water Management Plan 2004, the National Sanitation Strategy (2005), the National Land
Transport Policy (2004), the National Industries Policy (2009), and the Climate Change
Framework (2010). (ADB, 2016)
The Bangladesh government has consistently prioritized urbanization in its national
development plans, starting with the first Five Year Plan (FYP). Almost all subsequent FYPs,
including the seventh FYP (2016-2020), emphasized its importance. The present plan
stressed on adopting a proper vision for a sustainable urban future including formulating
appropriate policies. The 7th FYP noted that “the country is still lacking a comprehensive
national physical plan or land use plan which was highlighted in the 1st FYP, though the
Planning Commission had recognized the importance of the urban sector (as evident in the
Sixth 5-Year Plan and the Perspective Plan). The Cabinet is yet to approve the Urban Sector
Policy; the first draft was completed in 2006 and the final draft forwarded for approval in
2014. Absence of an officially approved policy is a big hindrance to planned urban
development.” (General Economics Division, 2015)
The draft National Urban Policy aims for sustainable urbanization, keeping the multi-
dimensional nature of the urbanization process in mind. It envisions a decentralized and
participatory urban development in which the central government, the local government, the
private sector, the civil society, and people all have critical roles to play.
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CHAPTER 3: MONITORING SDG 11 PROGRESS

3.1 Global Level

1. Coordinate the accumulated data for the global monitoring of SDG 11 (and other
relevant SDG) when feasible.
2. Assist in the preparation of the “Global Sustainable Development Report” and the
“Global Thematic Reports” with urban data and information.
3. Prepare global level reviews
4. Prepare recommendations for data and the use of data and information for policy
formulation.
5. Assist in global knowledge sharing partnerships for SDG.
6. Enhance partnership and collaboration with UN and other partners for preparing
global reports
7. Assist in the preparation of findings and policy recommendations based on the
collected data on both regional and global level. (A Guide to Assist National and
Local Governments to Monitor and Report SDG Goal 11+ Indicators)

3.2 Global Monitoring of SDG 11

All the 17 goals and 169 targets, including the SDG 11 and its 10 targets, have been defined
(2015) and endorsed (2019) by the member states of the UN. Progress on these targets can be
measured by standardized indicators. This will make comparing results across cities and
countries possible. It will also be possible to aggregate them for regional and global
monitoring and reporting.
The aforementioned discussion is about global reporting. However, local and national
dimensions have also been added to the platform for the final agreed indicators. In such
cases, progress towards the targets are measured by indicators which might not be global.
This is comparatively complicated, but if well-planned and executed, it will allow them to
customize their monitoring to their city and country context, making the goals more relevant
on a local level. It will also be able to play an important role in the local and national strategic
planning process.
To monitor and report on a consistent set of cities that are representative of their territories,
the countries can request help from UN-Habitat. UN-Habitat can assist them in drawing a
national sample of cities. This will allow countries to observe and monitor trend analysis on a
nationally representative sample. changes. In addition to this sample, cities are also
encouraged to monitor and report on the targets that have an urban dimension in close
collaboration with national governments systems and SDG reporting arrangements.
For drawing the sample, a stratified technique where the variables include the size of cities,
functionality, location etc. Using this dataset for monitoring and reporting will allow for
better comparability, time series analysis and the possibility to connect data and information
to national urban policies. Using appropriate statistical tools, the results from this sample can
then be used to generalize nationally. (A Guide to Assist National and Local Governments to
Monitor and Report SDG Goal 11+ Indicators)
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3.3 National Level

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) recognizes that ‘data and
metrics are essential for development goals to be met. There is a national level monitoring
framework to monitor the progress of SDG 11 which includes: (UN Habitat)
3.3.1 Policy & Institutional Level
1. Assist in the definition of national targets, connecting to global targets,
including specific benchmarks and standards at country level.
2. Assist in the strengthening and alignment of institutions and policies to
respond to urban SDG.
3. Assist in the definition and reinforcement of ‘means of implementation’,
supporting the creation of country implementation plans.
4. Advice on the mechanisms integrating national and local planning processes to
the urban SDG, both for implementation and monitoring.
5. Provide technical advisory services on implementation strategies and the
localization of indicators at city/urban level, considering:
3.3.2 Technical & Statistical Level
6. Reinforce national statistical systems to produce country reports with coherent
mechanisms to integrate city data.
7. Provide technical support towards the preparation of national reports including
data collection, analysis and compilation, with a special focus on new
indicators and spatial data.
8. Assist in the disaggregation of data at sub-regional, city and sub-city level,
including other forms of disaggregation as indicated in SDG documents (age,
sex, disability, migrants, etc.)
9. Assist countries in improving periodicity in the national/local review process
10. Assist countries in designing national sample of cities for national reporting,
supported by harmonized framework of indicators analysis and monitoring
(City Prosperity Initiative)
3.3.3 Training & Capacity Development Level
11. Identify the capacity gaps of relevant institutions, partners and stakeholders at
national and local levels, in monitoring SDG indicators.
12. Provide specialized training and capacity development, including the creation
of tools, guidelines and handbooks on data and methods.
13. Assist in the development of strategies of dissemination, including the
development of portals online webpage and systems, as well as the
visualization of data and information.
3.3.4 Partnership Level
14. Support national and local governments in the coordination of national/ local
actors and stakeholders to ensure the process is inclusive and transparent.
15. Coordinate with the UN system and external partners on leveraging existing
statistical programmes and forge partnerships in support of government
initiative
16. Collaborate with partners in the execution of the programme at the
local/national level in the area of statistics as per SDG indicators in Goal 11.
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3.4 City Prosperity Initiative (CPI)

CPI (City Prosperity Initiative): The CPI Initiative consists of six dimensions. Each
dimension features a series of dimensions, which successively include numerous indicators
that allow specific index calculation. The CPI produces six sub-indices associated with the
six dimensions of prosperity: Productivity, Infrastructure Development, Quality of Life,
Equity and Social Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability and concrete governance and
Legislation. The aggregation of those six sub-indices generates a consolidated value which
represents the CPI. This Initiative can be used to monitor the progress of a city in sustainable
development. By using CPI it is possible to:
• Propose a systemic approach of the city
• Provide a single composite value
• Establish global benchmarks.
• Create baseline data and information
• Provide a global platform for comparability.
• Identify priorities of sustainable urban development
• Provide evidence-based for policy-making and accountability
• Create local/national monitoring systems.
So we can see that CPI not only helps to monitor the progress but can also provide guidelines
to plan further progression of sustainable development. (UN Habitat)
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CHAPTER 4: SDG 11 & BANGLADESH

4.1 Status of SDG 11 in Bangladesh

4.1.1 Metrics For Urbanization
A consequence of development is predominantly urbanization. Metrics for urbanization,
such as variability and ease of access to urban services, can therefore be used to evaluate the
progress in development towards sustainable cities and communities (Haque, et al. 2014):
1. Transport: less than 500 meters (via paved footpath wide enough for a wheelchair)
to a bus, train or tram stop with regular services of at least every 30 minutes, off
peak.
2. Food and goods: less than 500 meters to shops.
3. Green space: less than 500 meters to parks.
4. Access: less than 30 minutes by mass transit to a range of employment, education,
social and cultural opportunities; safe walking and cycling paths to a primary and
secondary school.
5. Housing: a mix of housing types and prices, suitable for living, housing built, or
adapted, using environmental principles; good outdoor and indoor air quality.
6. Social cohesion: a sense of community in the neighborhood; tolerant and safe
environment.
These metrics further project an aggregation into the urbanization level. Bangladesh has a
low urbanization level. It is estimated that in 2018, 36.63 percent of the population lived in
urban areas (United Nations Population Division, 2018). However, this level of urbanization
varies widely throughout Bangladesh, from 7.2 percent in Satkhira district to more than 90
percent in Dhaka district. Bangladesh has some 570 urban centers, of which Dhaka is a
megacity and Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet are metropolitan areas, 25 are cities
with population of over 100,000 and the rest are smaller towns. (General Economics
Division, 2018)
4.1.2 Issues To Overcome

4.1.2.1 Housing:
Housing has always been a key issue in every city/town in Bangladesh. With the population
increasingly relocating to urban areas, housing deficit grew from 1.13 million units in 2001 to
4.6 million units in 2010. Nearly 44 percent of the urban population lived in purely temporary
structures and 29 percent lived in semi-permanent structures, indicating poor household
standards. However, there has been significant improvement in the quality of housing as is
evident from the HIES 2016-2017 (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 2017). Constant
relocation of rural population to urban centers and lack of support for them has resulted in a
great increase in slums. In 2014, 24.35 percent of slums were located in Dhaka followed by
Chattogram with 15.90 percent. (BBS, 2017).
4.1.2.2 Urban Transportation:
Extreme traffic congestion is highly prevalent in most urban areas in Bangladesh, especially
Dhaka. 5 million hours are being lost every day in Dhaka due to the congestion slowing down
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motorized transport to walking speeds of around 5 kilometers an hour (Hossain 2018). Due to
congestion on roads and inside mass public transports, women face greater problems like
complete inaccessibility, sexual harassment etc.
4.1.2.3 Water Supply and Sanitation:
According to HIES 2016, 37.28 percent urban households have access to piped water, which
is a growth not on par with the growing needs. Access to water supply varies greatly among
urban centers, with about 90 percent of Dhaka WASA coverage area having access, but only
19 percent in most district towns. (DPHE, 2016)
Almost all urban centers except Dhaka have a prevailing lack of connection to septic tanks
(Ahmed 2017). There has been, however, significant improvement in the use of sanitary toilet
from 32.4 percent in 1981 to 76.8 percent in 2017 (BBS 2017). There is also a significant
different between surface and underground level water sources.
4.1.2.4 Solid Waste:
Most urban centers are lagging in managing solid wastes. In Dhaka City, only 60 percent of
the solid wastes generated daily is collected by the City Corporation. The situation is better in
Sylhet and Chattogram with 76 percent and 70 percent of solid wastes collected respectively
while lower proportions of solid wastes are collected in Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal cities
(GED 2015).
4.1.2.5 Disaster losses:
Bangladesh is exposed to various natural disasters such as river erosion, cyclones, droughts,
tornadoes, cold waves, floods, flash floods and earthquakes as well as human induced
disasters such as fire and building collapse. About 1% of GDP is lost annually due to
disasters and it will increase due to climate change impact (GED 2015). Following the
devastating cyclones of 1970 and 1991, Bangladesh has significantly improved on coastal
resilience and disaster management.
Dhaka, the capital city, is among the most at risk cities in the world with assets extremely
vulnerable to earthquakes and with its high population density and rapid urbanization
intensifying this risk. In a global perspective Dhaka is one of the most vulnerable cities to
earthquake (Stanford University, 1997). With unplanned compact building construction,
constant tendency of narrowing roads, usage of flammable building materials and
unauthorized electrical system as well as lack of resources to raise awareness and response
skills have resulted in to growing risk in large scale.
Various urban Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) actors in Bangladesh have been actively
working to address the above hazards. However, their capacity and action has been more
effective in rural areas rather than in complex urban contexts. Unsynchronized approaches
and lack of proper coordination among urban actors/stakeholders is an issue. Besides, local
urban authorities suffer from inadequate responsibility and autonomy and financial capacity
(Save the Children, 2017).
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4.2 Government Projects & Endeavors

4.2.1 Housing: The Government undertakes several measures to ensure housing to people.
Flats and houses for public sector employees, high rise flats, low cost plots for low and
middle income groups etc. are some of the prominent measures.
The Government has initiated in 2016 Bangladesh- Pro-poor Slums Integration Project
funded by the World Bank with the objective to improve shelter and living conditions in
selected low income and informal settlements in designated municipalities in Bangladesh.
The government has been planning to construct some 10,000 residential flats for slum
dwellers and more for the cleaners of City Corporation at Mirpur Housing Estate. The
Government, with international aid, has had previous projects to improve condition of slum
dwellers through infrastructure improvements of the slums and reducing poverty. The
Government implemented a slum rehabilitation project in 1993 at Bhasantek, Mirpur,
building flats for them on a Built, Operate and Transfer basis. Ultimately, the poor could not
get these flats as they failed to afford them.
4.2.2 Road infrastructures: Road communication is being developed and maintained
through LGED, WASA and ULGIS. At present, LGED is implementing 20 projects funded
by the Government for improving urban services. LGED has another 8 infrastructure
development projects, with fund from the DPs and Government which will finally create
about 7360 km road, 1502 km drain, 3329 meter bridge/ culverts, 36 bus/truck terminals, 22
cyclone shelters, 152 km footpath, 40 solid waste disposal grounds, and 35 fecal sludge
treatment plants. Northern Bangladesh Infrastructure Development Project (NOBIDEP)
supported by JICA covers 18 paurashavas. For urban areas of coastal belt, CTEIP has been
undertaken with the financial support of ADB. The project has been designed for 10
paurashavas of Barisal-Khulna region to improve climate resilient infrastructure and
strengthen institutional capacity and governance (ERD 2018a).
4.2.3 Drainage infrastructure: Dhaka WASA has developed a drainage master plan. Khulna
WASA is preparing their ones. City corporations and paurashavas also have projects to
develop and maintain drainage system. With the support of Bangladesh Climate Change
Trust Fund (BCCTF) more than 100 small scale drainage improvement projects have been
undertaken by different paurashavas for improving their resilience to climate change. A
number of urban sector projects to improve drainage network at selected paurashavas are
being implemented through LGED (ERD 2018a).
4.2.4 Waste management: It is one of the priority services provided by ULGIS. Dhaka city
alone produces around 6000 tons of household solid waste per day. Traditionally, waste
management was carried out by dumping it at open landfills. Only Dhaka North City
Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) have sanitary landfills
which will be exhausted soon. Considering the land scarcity in the country, the Government
has decided to go for modern technology based waste management like incineration. To this
end, projects for land acquisition have already been approved by ECNEC for DNCC, DSCC
and Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) (ERD 2018a)
4.2.5 Water supply: In Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi cities, water supply is
managed by respective WASA. ULGIS are responsible for remaining cities and towns. Urban
water supply heavily depends on ground water extraction. For greater sustainability, efforts
are being made to reduce dependency on ground water and shift towards surface water. In
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Dhaka, daily water demand is around 235 crore liters per day. Dhaka WASA’s capacity has
been improved to produce 242 crore liters where ratio of ground and surface water supply is
around 70:30. The Government has undertaken three mega projects, namely, Padma
(Jashaldia) Water Treatment Plant Project with 45 crore liters daily capacity, Saidabad Water
Treatment Plant Project (phase-3) with 45 crore liters daily capacity, and Dhaka
Environmentally Sustainable Water Supply Project with 50 crore liters daily capacity to
reverse the situation. In Chittagong WASA area, the 50 crore liter per day demand is
expected to be met by surface water projects like Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (phase-2)
Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project, and Bhandal Jhuri Water
Supply. Khulna Water Supply Project is being implemented which will increase water supply
coverage to 46 percent. For Rajshahi city area, a project is in the pipeline for providing
potable water from the Godagari point of the Padma which will ensure 100 percent of water
supply from surface source. Sylhet and Barisal City Corporation as well as 18 paurashavas
have surface water supply schemes, and another 23 surface water treatment plants in other
paurashavas through DPHE are being planned. 152 paurashavas now have piped water supply
services developed by DPHE (ERD 2018a). WASA provide water to the poorer community
for which bills have been paid from revenue budget of the government.
4.2.6 Sanitation/sewage management: Bangladesh has successfully reduced open defecation
to 1 percent in 2015. Improved sanitation coverage has also been increased to 63 percent.
However, in Dhaka city, sewage network coverage is only around 20 percent. Dhaka WASA
has finalized its Sewage Master Plan (SMP) and started to implement it. Out of 5 Sewage
Treatment Plants (STP) to be established under the SMP, one has been in progress at
Dasherkandi for treating 50 crore liters of sewage daily. Projects for construction of STPs at
Saidabad, Mirpur Rayer Bazar and Uttara are in the pipeline. CWASA has completed its
sewerage and drainage master plan with the support of the World Bank. KWASA has
completed its feasibility study for a sewage master plan with the support of ADB to
undertake sewage management activities in three phases (ERD 2018a) (GED, 2018).
4.2.7 Urban Resilience Project: Urban Resilience Project is being implemented in Dhaka
North, Dhaka South and Sylhet City Corporation areas. It seeks to create an enabling
environment for centrally coordinated and locally managed disaster risk management (DRM)
(GED, 2018). It will establish, in addition to increasing institutional capacity, Emergency
Operation Centers, Emergency warehouses, satellite control rooms, heavy equipment for
emergency management, rescue and life-saving equipment.
4.2.8 Air pollution: A number of specific strategies have been undertaken in the past to
control air quality according to the ambient AQ standards. These include lead (pb) phase out
from petrol, ban on two-stroke three wheelers in Dhaka, promoting CNG conversion of
vehicles, ban on older vehicles responsible for larger amount of emissions, ban on vehicles
older than five years, setting vehicle emission standards, policies to reduce emissions from
brick kilns, ban on high Sulphur coal, and disseminate use of improved cooking stoves. Some
of these strategies were successful, while others were not so. (DOE 2012). Despite these
policies air quality in Bangladesh especially in Dhaka has not improved, ranking among the
lowest 10 on city AQI ranking. Air pollution is estimated to claim 122,400 lives in
Bangladesh a year (Health Effects Institute, 2017).
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4.2.9 Efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage:
Significant expenditure and efforts from the Government and private bodies have been
allocated in both urban and rural centers throughout Bangladesh. Ministry of Cultural Affairs
(MoCA) has prepared an Action Plan for the period up to 2020 to preserve the cultural
heritage of the country and implement projects which will contribute towards achievement of
SDG targets. Excavation and conservation activities are going on simultaneously in possible
cases. Financial support is provided to non-government organizations engaged in
archaeological preservation work and research both of tangible and intangible heritages and
persons engaged in cultural activities.
ADB aided South Asia Tourism Infrastructure Development project (Bangladesh Portion) has
been completed with an aim to improve culture-based tourism and to strengthen linkages
between tourism and local people by building capacity of communities to enable them to
obtain greater benefits from tourism.
About 57 research books and journals have been published during last 3 years for
development of Bengali language and literature. Besides, 13 thousand folk songs and music
that were on the verge of extinction have been collected and preserved. ‘Mongal Shovajatra’
and ‘Shitalpati’ (Traditional Shitalpati Weaving of Sylhet) have been enlisted by UNESCO as
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in the last two years. (GED, 2018)

Ahsan Manjil: A Cultural Heritage of Bangladesh

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4.3 SDG Integration in Bangladesh Policy

Bangladesh government is pretty much positive and enthusiastic regarding the SDG. Prime
Minister of Bangladesh has already demonstrated her commitments towards the SDG. She
has established an Inter-Ministerial Committee on SDG Implementation. The Committee
comprising Secretaries from 20 Ministries/ Divisions coordinates SDG monitoring and
implementation. The Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs), a newly created high level
position in the Prime Minister’s office, heads the Committee. GED is the secretariat for the
committee to coordinate implementation at the policy level along with monitoring and
reporting SDG status.
Commitment and enthusiasm of the Prime Minster has been also reflected in the policy level.
One of major important development policies of Bangladesh is its Five Year Plan (FYP), all
the 17 goals of SDG are already integrated into the running 7th FYP. Among the 17 goals, 14
goals (82%) are thematically fully aligned, 3 goals (Goal 14, Goal 16 and Goal 17) of the
SDG (18%) are partially aligned with the 7FYP11. It is rationally expected that, achievement
of the FYP objectives and targets will contribute towards achievement of SDG. Bangladesh’s
achievement in implementing the 7th FYP will be rewarding internationally for fulfilling the
global commitments.
The 7FYP has made a reflection on the core goal of SDG especially in ending poverty in all
its form. Bangladesh has achieved remarkable success in reducing the poverty in last few
decades. Nevertheless, about a quarter of the population of 160 million is still living below
the poverty line, hence setting that target is a necessary condition for attacking poverty with
delineating 7.4% expected annual growth rate that was suggested by SDG (SDG 8.1). The
following table has reflected the major SDG’ targets that are integrated with government
7FYP.
Table: SDG in 7th 5 Year Plan

SDG Integrated Issues

SDG 11. Make cities and
human settlements inclusive,
safe, resilient and sustainable.
(Development Targets in 7FYP)
• Access to improved water source will be ensured for
all urban dwellers.
• Ensure sustainable urban development that supports
increased productivity, investment and employment.
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4.4 Key Challenges of SDG 11 in Bangladesh

If cities and towns are to successfully play their role as a driving force behind economic and
social development, the following challenges have to be addressed.
4.4.1 Adequate, safe and affordable housing: Rapid urbanization and subsequent mass
migration has created housing deficit. The current rate of housing supply increase is not
enough to minimize deficits. This will make accessibility and affordability of housing to
lower and middle income population very limited, taking up a disproportionate part of their
wages.
4.4.2 Affordable, accessible and sustainable urban transport: Lack of efficient public
transport leads to slower vehicle speed costs working hours lowering labour productivity,
incurs higher fuel consumption and emission. Overcrowded bus trip affects comfort and
safety of riders especially of women. The situation in Dhaka City might improve after
completion of the construction of five metro rail lines, two rapid bus routes, 1,200km of new
roadways, six flyovers and three ring roads in Dhaka by 2035. A metro rail line between
Uttara and Motijheel and a rapid bus line from Gazipur to Mohakhali which was supposed to
be built by 2019 should ease the transportation problem to some extent.
4.4.3 Air Quality improvement: Increasing construction of buildings, roads, industries etc.
as a result of urbanization is a major cause of air pollution in the country. Despite
government regulations, numerous brick kilns around Dhaka are producing huge levels of
dust and smoke accounting for 52 percent of the pollution. Monitoring them and ensuring that
they meet safety and cleanliness requirements is challenging. The urban traffic system has to
be improved and made more efficient through reducing traffic jams and old vehicles on the
road which result in burning fuel inefficiently, adding more particulate matter in the air.
4.4.4 Urban Resilience: Climate change will worsen the incidence of natural disasters such
as floods/flash floods, cyclones and storm surges, salinity intrusion and climate change
induced sea level rise. Its impacts mainly in low-lying coastal areas will force millions of
people to migrate to Dhaka. To spread out this pressure, the Government is providing urban
services in 491 Upazila headquarters, and trying to develop residential hubs in 1400 rural
growth centers to turn them into small towns (ERD 2018b). Measures are being taken by the
respective authorities to identify and overcome the shortcomings in terms of building and
construction safety.
4.4.5 Resource constraints: Urbanization and socioeconomic development – both
necessitate better resources and services. Existing resource bases of Urban Local Government
Institutions (ULGIs) are not sufficient to meet these requirements in terms of investment. The
Government has been increasing its contribution to ULGIs through ADP allocation as well as
through block allocations but more is needed, and only Government support is not a
sustainable option. ULGIs require exploiting their full potential to increase revenue income
prudently. Mobilization of additional resources will require exploring innovative initiatives
and alternative options for financing like public-private-partnership (PPP) and access to
credit facilities. (Bangladesh Planning Commission, 2018)
4.4.6 Coordination amongst key stakeholders in Dhaka and other cities: City Corporation
(CC) Act 2009 clearly authorizes CCs to coordinate amongst stakeholders, and this is greatly
necessary. The Government has issued an official circular mentioning the roles and
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responsibilities of all departments/ agencies when they are invited by CC to coordination

meetings. CCs have started to activate this mechanism for better partnership, accountability
and transparency. Other several committees with citizen participations are in place. These
committees are being activated by different DP supported projects. Capacity building,
empowerment and engagement of committees with citizen participation will be enhanced to
strengthen ULGIs for planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring of basic urban
services, especially for urban poor.
4.4.7 Synchronization of policies, strategies and plans: Almost all organizations
functioning in the CCs have their own development policy, strategy and master plans. These
plans are rarely synchronized, resulting in conflicts between master plans during
implementation. Development interventions causes sufferings of people during
implementation which could be avoided and causes loss of resources. CCs have been given
the authority to ensure coordination and synchronization amongst these master plans (GED,
2018).
Is The General Mass Concerned Over SDG 11 in Bangladesh?
Those whom the SDG 11 goals and issues directly affect are bound to be concerned about the
progress, regardless of their awareness of the planning and intentions behind undertaken
measures.
The entire population is directly affected by housing accessibility and affordability.
Therefore, they demand development. Since Bangladesh is taking planned measures and
acting on feedback in this regard, the population is concerned about it. The same goes for
transportation, road, building and constructions safety, air quality, resource supply and costs
etc.

These are developments and changes that have been demanded by the general population for
long. Many are being benefited through the developments, and many more are hoping to be.
This provides the masses with reason for concern in one way or another.

Can Bangladesh achieve SDG 11 requirements by 2030?

In order for the cities and towns to play the role of a driving force behind economic and
social development a number of challenges have to be addressed including ensuring
adequate, safe and affordable housing, ensuring affordable, accessible and sustainable urban
transport, ensuring urban resilience, and resource constraints.
Based on the current progress and indicators such as housing, pollution, transport, sustainable
supply and demands etc. the progress of Bangladesh in terms of meeting SGD 11 goals can
be assessed. A significant number of projects and policy changes have been planned, and
some have been implemented. The projections and deadlines set by the Government shows
that Achieving SDG 11 requirements by 2030 will be possible.
However, the rate at which the development is proceeding, and the new obstacles that are
further deterring these rates indicate otherwise. Besides, the current COVID-19 situation is
sure to indeterminately halt and even reverse much of the progress for the entire world. So,
unless Bangladesh can inexplicably reform all relevant bodies and implement all projects
very soon, the goals may not be reached within the target period.
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4.5 Data Gap Identification in Bangladesh SDG 11 Monitoring

Data availability is a must for monitoring the progress of SDGs. This section confirms
whether data is available to monitor the targets corresponding to each of the goals. The
template emphasizes the status of data availability in marking ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘partial’ along with
their sources (reports/institutions). And the last column of the table lists the
ministries/divisions/departments responsible for implementing the targets for achieving the
goals.
SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal Target Data BBS, SDGs Implementation
No. Availability Data Ministry/Division and Comment
Source
(Yes/No/Partial)
11.1 Ensure access for all Yes (Slum ⮚ Law and Justice Division
to adequate, safe and Census ⮚ Legislative and
affordable housing 2014), Parliamentary Affairs
and basic services BBS
Division
and upgrade slums
⮚ Local Government
Division
⮚ Ministry of Housing and
Public Works
⮚ Power Division

11.2 Provide access to No - ⮚ Local Government

safe, affordable, Division
accessible and ⮚ Ministry of Home Affairs
sustainable transport
⮚ Road Transport and
systems for all,
improving road Highways Division
safety, notably by
expanding public
transport, with
special attention to
the needs of those in
vulnerable
situations, women,
children, persons
with disabilities and
older persons
11.3 Enhance inclusive No - ⮚ Local Government
and sustainable Division
urbanization and ⮚ Ministry of Housing and
capacity for
Public Works
participatory,
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integrated and
sustainable human
settlement planning
and management in
all countries
11.4 Strengthen efforts to No - ⮚ Ministry of Cultural
protect and Affairs
safeguard the ⮚ Ministry of Education
world’s cultural and
⮚ Ministry of Primary and
natural heritage
Mass Education
⮚ Ministry of Religious
Affairs
⮚ Ministry of Youth and
Sports

11.5 Significantly reduce Partially Yes (ICCHL ⮚ Ministry of Disaster

the number of deaths 2015), Management and Relief
and the number of BBS ⮚ Ministry of Home Affairs
people affected and
⮚ Ministry of Shipping
substantially
decrease the direct ⮚ Ministry of Water
economic losses Resources
relative to global
gross domestic
product caused by
disasters, including
water-related
disasters, with a
focus on protecting
the poor and people
in vulnerable
situations
11.6 Reduce the adverse No - ⮚ Local Government
per capita Division
environmental ⮚ Ministry of Environment
impact of cities,
& Forests
including by paying
special attention to
air quality and
municipal and other
waste management
11.7 Provide universal No - ⮚ Local Government
access to safe, Division
inclusive and
24 | P a g e
accessible, green and
public spaces, in
particular for women
and children, older
persons and persons
with disabilities
11.a Support positive No - ⮚ Agriculture, Water
economic, social and
environmental links
between urban, peri-
urban and rural areas
by strengthening
national and regional
development
planning
11.b By 2020, No - ⮚ Local Government
substantially
increase the number
of cities and human
settlements adopting
and implementing
integrated policies
and plans towards
inclusion, resource
efficiency,
mitigation and
adaptation to climate
change, resilience to
⮚ Ministry of Environment
and Forests
⮚ Ministry of Housing and
Public Works
⮚ Ministry of Land
⮚ Ministry of Social
Welfare
⮚ Ministry of Women and
Children Affairs
Resources & Rural
Institution Division
⮚ Planning Commission
⮚ General Economics
Division
⮚ Industry & Energy
Division, Planning
Commission
⮚ Local Government
Division
⮚ Ministry of Environment
and Forests
⮚ PID, Planning
Commission
⮚ Programming Division,
Planning Commission
⮚ SEI Division, Planning
Commission
Division
⮚ Ministry of Disaster
Management and Relief
⮚ Ministry of Environment
and Forests
⮚ Ministry of Home Affairs
⮚ Ministry of Housing and
Public Works
25 | P a g e

disasters, and
develop and
implement, in line
with the Sendai
Framework for
Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015-
2030, holistic
disaster risk
management at all
levels
11.c Support least No - ⮚ Economic Relations
developed countries, Division
including through ⮚ Ministry of Environment
financial and
and Forests
technical assistance,
in building ⮚ Ministry of Foreign
sustainable and Affairs
resilient buildings
utilizing local
material

4.6 SDG 11 Under COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has created several crises throughout the world and Bangladesh,
and will inevitably lead to even more. This will ultimately drastically slow down the progress
in regards to all SDGs, including SDG 11.
Air pollution has drastically gone down for lack of operating industries during the crisis, but
still does has not reached ideal levels. The AQI of Dhaka dropped to below 100 from around
250 in the recent past. This possibly indicates that the pollution levels are so out of control
that a complete lockdown of the country for weeks is necessary to bring the air quality to
barely moderate levels.
Currently, the lower and middle income population is struggling to survive. Almost all of this
population currently has no source of income. The majority of them live in rented houses, and
many are now unable to pay rent. Many have resorted to rushing to their rural homes, which
has only resulted in exacerbation.
Much of the machinery, transportation, and construction equipment and material that was in
use before is now left idle. This could result in damages that would be difficult to recover
from in the future since private bodies would not be able to recover from these, or support
themselves.
All progress is at a halt during the pandemic crisis, and a lot of avoidable damage has
possibly been incurred due to critically late responses. A significant amount of resources has
been spent in dealing with this situation, and much more is due.
26 | P a g e

CHAPTER 5: KEY FINDINGS

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call for action aimed at reducing
hunger, protecting the earth and ensuring stability and prosperity for everyone everywhere.
Goal 11, one of the 17 SDGs, deals with all these aspects, with a special emphasis on urban
areas and their sustainability.
However, specific methodological challenges need to be addressed, for example: the need to
follow a common concept of cities and urban areas for global monitoring purposes, the
development of qualitative, quantitative and spatial analytical methods and approaches for
city surveillance and its neighborhoods to ensure that no one is left behind, and cooperation
between regional and national levels to ensure smooth data collection and reporting.
The findings of this report will touch on the national progress and status on the 15 indicators
of SDG 11, and the key challenges in trying to meeting the targets.

Targets Status and progress of Challenges

11.1. By 2030, ensure
access for all to adequate,
safe and affordable housing
and basic services and
upgrade slums
11.2. Provide access to
safe, affordable, accessible
and sustainable transport
systems for all, improving
road safety, notably by
expanding public transport,
with special attention to the
needs of those in
vulnerable situations,
women, children, persons
with disabilities and older
persons
Bangladesh
• Housing deficit, growing from • Relocation of the rural
1.13M(2001) to 4.6M(2010) population to more
units urban areas in huge
• 44% of urban people lived in numbers.
temporary structures, 29% in This is due to the high
semi-permanent structures level of centralization in
(2010) terms of trade and
• In 2014, 24.35% slums in administration.
Dhaka, 15.9% in Chattogram • Inefficient usage of
• GoB initiated Bangladesh- existing real estate, and
Pro-poor Slums Integration haphazard planning.
Project in 2016, and plans to
construct 10,000 flats for
slum dwellers especially
• High level of traffic • Gap between policy
congestion making and its
• LGED has 8 infrastructural implementation, as
development projects, which evident in the delay of
covers the creation of 7360km the construction of the
roads, 3329 bridges/culverts, metro rail.
36 bus/truck terminals and • Lack of enough reliable
152km footpath. public transport.
• Plan to further construct two
rapid bus routes, 1,200km of
new roadways, six flyovers
and three ring roads in Dhaka
by 2035.
• A metro rail line between
Uttara and Motijheel and a
rapid bus line from Gazipur to
Mohakhali was supposed to
be built by 2019
27 | P a g e
11.3. Enhance inclusive
and sustainable
urbanization and capacity
for participatory, integrated
and sustainable human
settlement planning and
management in all
countries
11.4. Strengthen efforts to •
protect and safeguard the
world’s cultural and natural
heritage
• ADB aided South Asia
11.5. Significantly reduce
the number of deaths and
the number of people
affected and substantially
decrease the direct
economic losses relative to
global gross domestic
product caused by
disasters, including water-
related disasters, with a
focus on protecting the
poor and people in
vulnerable situations
• At present, LGED is • Resource constraints
implementing 20 projects
funded by the Government for
improving urban services
• The GoB has been increasing
its contribution to
ULGIs(Urban Local
Government Institutions)
through ADP allocation as
well as through block
allocations
Preparation of action plan up
to 2020 by MoCA(Ministry of
Cultural Affairs) to preserve
cultural heritage.
Tourism Infrastructure
Development project
(Bangladesh) has been
completed
• 13 thousand folk songs and
music that were on the verge
of extinction have been
collected and preserved
• About 57 research books and
journals have been published
in the last 3 years for
development of Bengali
language and literature
• About 1% of GDP is lost
annually due to disasters and
it will increase due to climate
change impact (GED 2015)
• Various urban Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) actors in
Bangladesh have been
actively working to address
the hazards caused by
unplanned urbanization
• LGED has development
projects on building 22
cyclone shelters
and lack of proper
resource mobilization,
meaning that the
resources allocated for a
certain project or task is
not reaching its desired
destination, or being
misused. This is a
pervasive barrier to
development
•
• Unsynchronized
approaches among
urban stakeholders.
• Local urban authorities
suffer from inadequate
autonomy and financial
capacity (Save the
Children, 2017).
• Unplanned building
construction, constant
tendency of narrowing
roads, usage of
flammable building
materials and
unauthorized electrical
system, lack of
resources to raise
awareness and response
28 | P a g e

skills have resulted in to

11.6. Reduce the adverse Air quality:
per capita environmental • Numerous brick kilns around
impact of cities, including Dhaka are producing huge
by paying special attention levels of dust and smoke
to air quality and municipal accounting for 52 percent of
and other waste the pollution.
management • Air pollution is estimated to
claim 122,400 lives in
Bangladesh a year (Health
Effects Institute, 2017)
• Dhaka ranking among the
lowest 10 on city AQI
ranking, making it one of the
worst cities to live in, in the
world
• Specific strategies including
lead (pb) phase out from
petrol, ban on two-stroke
three wheelers in Dhaka,
CNG conversion of vehicles
and policies to reduce
emissions from brick kilns.
growing risks
• Reluctance of factory
and industry owners to
adhere to the
environmental policies
due to lax law
enforcement
• Construction and
reconstruction of roads
and lanes throughout the
year, damaging the
existing sanitation and
water supply systems.
• Lack of urgency and
punctuality in terms of
completion of projects.
This is another
drawback of having an
inefficient
administration system
overall.

Sanitation:
• Reduced open defecation to 1
percent in 2015
• Improved sanitation coverage
has also been increased to 63
percent. However, in Dhaka
city, sewage network
coverage is only around 20
percent.

Water supply:
• Access to water supply varies
greatly among urban centers,
with about 90 percent of
Dhaka WASA coverage area
having access, but only 19
percent in most district towns.
(DPHE, 2016)
• Dhaka WASA has finalized
its Sewage Master Plan
(SMP) and started to
implement it, whereas
CWASA has completed it
29 | P a g e
11.7. Provide universal
access to safe, inclusive
and accessible, green and
public spaces, in particular
for women and children,
older persons and persons
with disabilities
11.a. Support positive
economic, social and
environmental links
between urban, per-urban
and rural areas by
strengthening national and
regional development
planning
• The GoB has taken major
projects at Padma, Saidabad
and in several other districts
to meet the huge requirement
of flowing water in urban
areas throughout the country
Waste management:
• Government has decided to go
for modern technology-based
waste management like
incineration. Projects for land
acquisition have already been
approved by ECNEC for
DNCC, DSCC and
Narayanganj City Corporation
(NCC) (ERD 2018a)
• LGED has projects to
construct 40 solid waste
disposal grounds
• Inaccessibility and harassment • High relocation of
of women on public transports people to cities in search
• Highly urbanized places like for jobs and better
Dhaka city has an acute lifestyle.
shortage of green and public • Inefficient planning and
spaces due to the rapid lack of foresight
apartment building surge.
• City corporations have started • Lack of synchronicity
to activate the mechanism of between broader nation-
coordinating meetings wide plans and local
between all stakeholders plans in most cases
(govt. departments/agencies)
for better partnership,
accountability and
transparency
• Several committees with
citizen participation are also
being activated by different
DP supported projects
30 | P a g e

11.b. Substantially increase • Urban resilience project in • Shortcomings in terms

the number of cities and Dhaka North and South, and of infrastructural
human settlements Sylhet CC areas to enable for capabilities and resource
adopting and implementing centrally controlled and constraints
integrated policies and locally implemented Disaster
plans towards inclusion, Risk Management (DRM)
resource efficiency, (GED, 2018)
mitigation and adaptation • The GoB is providing urban
to climate change, services in 491 Upazila
resilience to disasters, and headquarters, and trying to
develop and implement, in develop residential hubs in
line with the Sendai 1400 rural growth centers
Framework for Disaster (ERD 2018b).
Risk Reduction 2015–
2030, holistic disaster risk
management at all levels
11.c. Support least N/A N/A
developed countries,
including through financial
and technical assistance, in
building sustainable and
resilient buildings utilizing
local materials
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

CHAPTER 6: RECOMMENDATIONS
Through the process of compiling this paper, we’ve come up with the following
recommendations targeted towards SDG 11 Implementation in Bangladesh, They are:
1. More opportunities for jobs and enterprises
2. Healthy and affordable accommodation
3. Pollution & waste
4. Better Public Transport
5. Green Public Spaces
6. Violence/Harassment against women
7. Poverty
8. Better Urban Planning
9. Greater Inclusion
10. Road Safety
11. Infrastructure
12. Climate Change
31 | P a g e

6.1 Opportunities For Jobs and Enterprises

There is a direct link between job opportunities and the growth of enterprise. The more
enterprises are encouraged, the more job opportunities there will be in the economy. In order
to encourage enterprise, the government must work to reduce red tape.
From 2006 to 2019, Bangladesh has moved down from the 65th position to the 168th position
according to the “Ease of Doing Business” as assessed by the World Bank. (The Business
Standard, 2019) This indicates rising red tape and inefficiency within the country.
In order to reduce the inefficiencies, the government would have to ensure:
a. Easier tax payment procedure
b. Easier access to construction permits
c. Better credit facilities
d. Better international trade facilities
e. Easier registration of electricity and property.
Improving these aspects would reduce the cost of setting up and operating for entrepreneurs
and thus, encourage enterprise. This, in turn, would lead to a higher demand for labour,
increasing job opportunities.
The government and private sector should also invest more in education and training and
make it more accessible to the underprivileged people. This may help to increase their skill-
set and provide them with better job opportunities.
On the other hand, in order to reduce underemployment, the government should help to
increase the mobility of labor. People often stick to certain jobs despite being underemployed
due to geographical immobility. To fix this issue, the government could:
a. Increase and improve access to housing, especially in employment
hotspots;
b. Decentralization to create jobs in areas where there is low demand for
labor;
c. Better transportation services.

6.2 Healthy and Affordable Accommodation

In order to ensure affordable accommodation, the government and banks would have to work
together. Lending facilities have to be improved to begin with. Home loans can be provided
with low interest rates or no interest rate for the first few years. This would encourage
individuals to purchase houses on loans.
Moreover, better loan facilities may also be targeted towards the construction of rental
apartments. Better and cheaper loan conditions will encourage more people to build and rent
out houses, which will increase the supply of housing. As supply increases, price of houses
will fall, making it affordable to people.
While this may not help to provide better housing for those living in slums, it may still help
lower-middle income groups to be able to afford better and healthier housing.
32 | P a g e

6.3 Pollution & Waste

In Bangladesh, industrial waste and effluents are one of the main causes of water pollution.
As per WHO, in Bangladesh, chemical elements in ground and surface water often exceed the
limit recommended by WHO. (Md. Khalid Hasan, 2019)
To improve this, there has to be tighter monitoring for industries to reduce pollution. Better
monitoring could help to ensure penalty for those not following the environmental
regulations. This could help to deter pollution by firms. Moreover, pollution permits can be
given to firms where firms will be allowed to pollute upto a certain limit. If the firm can
reduce pollution to below the limit, it can sell off the rest of the permit and earn revenue from
it. This can incentivize firms to reduce pollution and waste.

6.4 Better Public Transportation

Government should increase its spending to improve public transport systems. A lot of people
choose to use private transporters despite the availability of public transports. This is because
of the poor condition of the public transports. A lot of these transports do not adhere to the
rules e.g. the rules of not taking in more passengers than the bus can accommodate, rules of
not stopping anywhere other than the bus stoppages. When transports fail to adhere to these
rules, they provide poor service, which often leads to both minor and major accidents. If these
are fixed, more people would be willing to use public transports and less private transports,
which could help to reduce traffic congestion.
On the other hand, there has been various cases of harassment towards women in public
transports. To tackle this, BRTC has provided a female-only bus service known as
Dolonchapa. The government should invest further in the provision of such services. As of
2019, there are only 5 Dolonchapa buses, which means these buses usually overcrowded,
leading to a poor passenger experience. (Daily Asian Age, 2019) Therefore, an improvement
in this aspect is expected.

6.5 Green Public Spaces

Green public spaces are very rare to see in the capital of Bangladesh. This is due to increasing
urbanization and lack of urban planning. Parks and other open spaces are usually turned to
residential areas, most of the educational institution such as schools or offices also lack
sufficient open and green areas.
To solve this, cities may be planned in a better manner, keeping more open spaces.
Decentralization also plays an important role in this case. Spreading industrialization and
urbanization over more cities would ensure more green spaces in each city.

6.6 Preventing Violation & Harassment of Women

A large number of women face sexual and verbal harassment in public spaces, be it parks,
buses or simply on the streets. This is partly due to the lack of education and awareness and
partly due to the lack of exemplary punishment given to the offenders.
To tackle this, the concept of equality and mutual respect must be taught at schools to begin
with. This can help to shape the mindset of individuals and prevent such offenses when they
grow up. As for punishment, most of the public harassers usually get away without any legal
consequences. Legal consequences such as fines, arrest or even a simple police record could
33 | P a g e

help to deter such offenders from harassing women. This would make the city a safer place to
live in.

6.7 Poverty
Bangladesh receives grants and loans from international organisations such as the World
Bank and International Development Association (IDA). This loan has been used to improve
rural infrastructure, which in turn, helped to improve the transportation systems from rural to
urban areas. (The World Bank, 2018) However, there are still a large number of people in
Bangladesh living under the poverty lines.
More investment on rural-urban network could help the rural population. It could help to
transport goods produced in the rural area to the urban areas at much lower cost, and could
help increase the income of both farm and non-farming households. This can help to reduce
the poverty rate.

6.8 Better Urban Planning

Rapid urbanization has led to unplanned development of infrastructure in Bangladesh, mostly
in Dhaka city. This means roads and highways are not planned in the most efficient manner.
As per the World Bank, city planning in Bangladesh needs to be done in a more sustainable
way so that rapidly urbanizing parts of the country have the necessary infrastructure to make
them good places to live in. (The World Bank, 2017)
To ensure better planning, architects, planners and engineers should receive more training
regarding sustainable planning. For instance, the Centre of Excellence for Urban
Development had introduced a Young Professional Internship Program aimed at the
architects, planners and engineers in 2017. More such programs could help to increase the
knowledge and skills of those involved in designing the infrastructure, and thus, the urban
layout can be made more efficient.

6.9 Greater Inclusion

A key aspect of stakeholder engagement is making sure a diverse community of people are
being included in the process. Not only is it imperative that people from as many different
cultural, social, educational and financial backgrounds have equal say in deciding the
stakeholder needs of a design, it is also proven that a diverse team is more likely to come up
with a broader range of ideas. To ensure inclusion in society, we must ensure that the
decision-making process is accessible to everyone concerned, be it in a community setting, or
in any aspect of the private or public sector operations. It must also be ensured that everyone
is given an equal voice and importance.

6.10 Road Safety

Road accidents in Bangladesh have reached epidemic levels, with newspaper
headlines reporting casualties on a daily basis. The road safety movement by teenagers
in 2018 won a concession from the government in the shape of the drafting of Road
Transport Act 2018 which is on effect from November, 2019.
Uneducated and unskilled drivers, vehicles with technical faults, weak traffic management,
lack of public awareness, a lack of use of foot over bridges, uncontrolled speed of vehicles
on roads, faulty road constructions, lack of political will, lack of proper implementation of
34 | P a g e

traffic rules & a failure to meet SDG target 3.6 are the main causes behind the frequent
road accidents.

Administrative intent, building awareness, and strict enforcement of laws are vital to
bringing discipline to the country’s abysmal traffic system. The government sho uld
take cautionary, effective, and prompt action to reduce this problem. According to a
recent survey conducted by the organization Nirapad Sarak Chai (NiSCha - We
Demand Safe Roads), the number of road accidents in 2016 was 2,316, which grew to
3,349 in 2017, 3103 in 2018 and finally rising to a staggering 4702 in 2019.

On average, 3,000 road accidents occur in Bangladesh each year, causing around
2,700 deaths, 2,400 injuries, and incurring an estimated loss of around Tk40,000 crore
annually, which is 2-3% of Bangladesh’s GDP, according to data collected by
stakeholders.

6.11 Infrastructure
Bangladesh has long been considered a country approaching middle-income status. However,
one major issue stands in the way of further progress: infrastructure in Bangladesh.
Infrastructure development is ‘sine qua non’ for the economic development of a country. The
country being riverine makes it extremely difficult and expensive to build modern
transportation and communication networks. The situation is further complicated by the fact
that the Bangladeshi government has acutely limited resources not only for building new
infrastructure but also for maintaining the existing ones. Poor and inefficient infrastructure
undermined the economic development in the country, and only recently has the government
been able to address the problem systematically and channel investments towards improving
its infrastructure.
Building infrastructure in Bangladesh is costliest in the world. Bangladesh’s spending for each
kilometre of track is higher than in China and India. Moreover, the absence of competition in
the bidding process for these works lead to corruption since the cost becomes higher when
there is no competition in the tender process. Moreover, acquiring high and low lands also
increases cost.
Exporters and importers have to spend 15-20 days at the Chattagram port, which facilitates 80
percent of the country's external trade. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association expressed concerns about the poor facility at the premier port. Exporters also
questioned how the port would advance the country's US $50 billion RMG production target
when it could not handle the export of US $28 billion of readymade garment items at present
Bangladesh has increased infrastructure investment over the years. The amount reached US $6
billion in 2016-2017 from US $2 billion in 2011-2012. The government has taken up many
projects to improve the country’s ailing infrastructure. The mega projects include: the Padma
Multipurpose Bridge (PMB), Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Payra sea port, Coal-fired
Matarbari and Rampal Power Plant, Metro Rail and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
terminal. Two more big projects, one for a Padma Bridge Rail Link and another of the
Karnaphuli River Tunnel, have been undertaken for fast implementation.
All these activities show that increased spending on infrastructure is driving the growth in other
sectors. Still businesses believe that the spending is not enough to take the country to a higher
and sustainable growth path. Yet, the amount of spending is inadequate compared to the
investment made by peer countries. Infrastructure spending in Bangladesh stands at only 2.85
percent of the GDP whereas it is 10 percent in Vietnam, 9.0 percent in China and 5.0 percent
35 | P a g e

each in India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. If Bangladesh wants to attract foreign direct
investment and remain competitive, it would have to raise investment in infrastructure.
6.12 Climate Change
Bangladesh is located at the tail end of the fragile delta formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra,
and Meghna Rivers and more exposed to tropical cyclones than any other country. It also
experiences about two-fifths of the world’s storm surges every year.

According to the 2015 Climate Change Vulnerability Index, Bangladesh’s economy is more
at risk to climate change than any country. With a GDP, of about $1,220, the economic losses
in Bangladesh over the past 40 years were at an estimated $12 billion, depressing GDP
annually by 0.5 to 1 percent. Especially devastating storms that come along every few years
have an outsized impact – such as the 2007 cyclone Sidr, which wrought an estimated $1.7
billion in damages. In May 2009, the impact of Cyclone Aila caused an estimated $270
million in asset damage.

Two-thirds of the country is less than five meters above sea level, and floods increasingly
inundate homes, destroy farm production, close businesses, and shut down public
infrastructure. Erosion leads to an annual loss of about 10,000 hectares of land and weakens
natural coastal defenses and aquatic ecosystems.

Fresh water has become scarcer in in Bangladesh’s drought-prone northwest and in southwest
coastal areas where about 2.5 million profoundly poor residents regularly suffer from
shortages of drinking water and water for irrigation. Salt water intrusion from sea level rise in
low-lying plains has intensified the risk of food insecurity, the disappearance of employment
opportunities for agricultural workers, and the spread of water-related diseases.

Bangladesh has invested more than $10 billion in climate change actions – enhancing the
capacity of communities to increase their resilience, increasing the capacity of government
agencies to respond to emergencies, strengthening river embankments and coastal polders
(low-lying tracts of lands vulnerable to flooding), building emergency cyclone shelters and
resilient homes, adapting rural households’ farming systems, reducing saline water intrusion,
especially in areas dependent upon agriculture, and implementing early warning and
emergency management systems.

Bank financing has also enabled research on the impact of climate-sensitive diseases and the
dynamics of urban flooding in the Dhaka area. The World Bank, International Finance
Corporation and the 2030 Water Resources Group have also collaborated on an investment
strategy for the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, a long-term investment program to spur
adaptive management of the Bangladesh Delta.
36 | P a g e

CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION
This report has been made highlighting SDG – 11 of the 17 SDGs adopted by the United
Nations Member states in 2015 which seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive,
safe, resilient and sustainable. The key challenges being faced by the goal have been
identified and the progress made on this goal on global and local scale has been analyzed in
the report.
Urbanization has become a defining phenomenon of the twenty-first century as we are
increasingly living in an urban world. With majority of the global population living in and
majority of the global GDP being produced in the urban areas, the issues of global
sustainability cannot be addressed without strongly addressing the question of urban
sustainability. The quest for urban sustainability is not a standalone goal but rather an
opportunity to address several other objectives, such as climate change, poverty eradication,
access to safer water supply, energy demand management, social inclusion and spatial justice.
SDG-11 creates a linkage between urban sustainability and the above mentioned objectives
and thus inter-linking with other SDGs to a certain extent.
The success of SDG 11 will depend on the extent to which they are contextualized to local
situations and mainstreamed within local urban planning frameworks and budgetary
constraints. Achieving inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities for all, as outlined in
Sustainable Development Goal 11 requires officials to recognize the interdependence of
global goals and local actions and to follow an integrated vision for development and urban
resilience building.
This research will help the concerned government as well as non-government officials and
researchers to find out about the challenges in implementing SDG-11 in Bangladesh as well
as at a global scale within the given time frame. It will also help to develop the linkage
between SDG 11 and other SDGs and pave a way to implement the goals in a more effective
way. The insights and experiences captured in this research work are expected to help in
implementation of SDG 11 not only in Bangladesh but also in other emerging economies
with similar background and growth trajectories.
37 | P a g e

CHAPTER 8: APPENDIX

Figure C: 17 SDG Goals

Figure B: Sector Wise Fund Allocation Figure C: Percentage of Investment

Figure D: Citizen's Conclave on SDG Goals

38 | P a g e

Figure E: Aspects of SDG 11

Figure F: Sustainable Cities Targets

39 | P a g e

CHAPTER 9: REFERENCES
1. Bangladesh Planning Commission: MDG Financing Strategy for Bangladesh (April,
2011).
2. Bangladesh Planning Commission: Bangladesh Progress Report (September, 2015)
3. General Economics Division (GED), Bangladesh Planning Commission: Millennium
Development Goals: End-period Stocktaking and Final Evaluation Report
(September, 2016).
4. General Economics Division (GED), Bangladesh Planning Commission: Millennium
Development Goals: End-period Stocktaking and Final Evaluation Report
(September, 2016).
5. National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT), Mitra and
Associates, and ICF International. Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014
(March, 2016).
6. Bangladesh Planning Commission, Sustainable Development Goals: Bangladesh
Progress Report 2018 (December, 2018)
7. Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD): SDGs and country
process in Bangladesh: The Missing Links and where Assistance is an Obligation of
International Community especially in Climate Compensation and Stopping Illicit
Flow (March, 2017)
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