Lack of coordination among various government authorities is a key barrier to ensuring climate resilient cities, said climate change experts on the final day of a three-day national conference in the capital yesterday. 

“In absence of a designated urban affairs ministry, various ministries and agencies intervene in the urbanisation process without coordination – leading to haphazard and isolated development,” said Hasina Mushrofa, head of Brac Urban Development Programme.

Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network with International Center for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) of Independent University, Bangladesh organised the third national conference on urban resilience to climate change at Institute of Architects Bangladesh.

Professor Emeritus Ainun Nishat, of Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research at Brac University, said that climate change impacts with temperature rise would result in coastal surge, salinity intrusion, erratic rainfall and drainage congestion.

Md Tazkin Ahmed, mayor of Satkhira municipality, said that elected public representatives have a key role in developing planned and climate resilient cities.

But unlike government bureaucrats, who enjoy all kinds of privileges, they remain ignored; for example, a municipality councillor gets a meagre monthly amount of Tk 10, 000 as honorarium, he said. 

Dr Khurshid Zabin Hossain Taufiq, director of Urban Development Directorate, and Md Abdul Baten, president of Municipal Association of Bangladesh, among others, spoke while ICCCAD Director Dr Saleemul Huq chaired the event.