Dhaka 4th among world’s 20 most unsustainable megacities

Dhaka has been rated as the fourth among the 20 most unsustainable megacities in the world, according to a climate report published on Wednesday.

The Ecological Threat Report (ETR) 2022 found that Lagos, Nairobi, Kinshasa, Dhaka, Baghdad, Lahore, Kolkata and New Delhi are projected to have high population growth of over 50% by 2050.

These megacities are also anticipated to witness high levels of air pollution, poor sanitation, high homicide rates and substantial ecological threats, reads the report.

According to the report, South Asia is home to eight of the world's 20 most unsustainable megacities – Dhaka, Lahore, Kolkata, Delhi, Karachi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.

Produced by the Sydney-based think tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), featuring exclusive research from the Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll, the report analysed ecological risk, societal resilience, and peace for 228 countries and territories, 3,638 administrative districts, and 250 cities, assessing their ability to manage their challenges between now and 2050.

It said there are currently 33 megacities in the world, with the number likely to increase to 47 by 2050.

Dhaka has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the world as its population doubled from 6 million to 12 million between 1990 and 2005.

The report said the city's population is further expected to increase, rising to 34.6 million by 2050 from its current population of 22.6 million, an increase of 53%.

Meanwhile, the city which generates around one-fifth of Bangladesh's total economic output is affected by ecological changes in several ways.

The city is located in an area of just 360 square kilometres, making it one of the more densely populated cities in the world (with 29,000 inhabitants per square kilometre).

"This high density, combined with rapid urbanisation, means a third of the city's population cannot rely on piped water. Many residents end up in informal settlements, with the Korail slum growing from 40,000 inhabitants in 2011 to around 1,50,000 in 2021," read the report.

"The city is impacted by regular floods, which are only likely to increase. As it is low lying, it may be affected by sea level rises, while also coping with infrastructure problems, particularly in transport, water, waste and energy."

The report also said Dhaka struggles to provide good living conditions to its residents due to its inability to deal with waste. The city generates approximately 5,000 tonnes of waste a day, but only half is properly collected and disposed of.

However, the report mentioned Bangladesh consistently rates as one of the most affected countries by flooding and cyclones. The country has seen 254 natural disasters between 1981 and 2021.

Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairman of IEP, said, "As we approach COP27, this report is a timely reminder that the costs of many of the existing ecological challenges will only be amplified by climate change."

"The world's current approach to the countries suffering the worst climate-related issues is not working; ecological threats are increasing and have systemic causes that require systemic solutions," he added.