How Does Peri-Urbanization Trigger Climate Change Vulnerabilities? An Investigation of the Dhaka Megacity in Bangladesh

Md Golam Mortoja,Tan Yigitcanlar

doi:10.3390/rs12233938

Abstract

This paper aims to scrutinize in what way peri-urbanization triggers climate change vulnerabilities. By using spatial analysis techniques, the study undertakes the following tasks. First, the study demarcates Dhaka’s—the capital of Bangladesh—peri-urban growth pattern that took place over the last 24-year period (1992–2016). Afterwards, it determines the conformity of ongoing peri-urban practices with Dhaka’s stipulated planning documents. Then, it identifies Dhaka’s specific vulnerabilities to climate change impacts—i.e., flood, and groundwater table depletion. Lastly, it maps out the socioeconomic profile of the climate change victim groups from Dhaka. The findings of the study reveal that: (a) Dhaka lacks adequate development planning, monitoring, and control mechanisms that lead to an increased and uncontrolled peri-urbanization; (b) Dhaka’s explicitly undefined peri-urban growth boundary is the primary factor in misguiding the growth pockets—that are the most vulnerable locations to climate change impacts, and; (c) Dhaka’s most vulnerable group to the increasing climate change impacts are the climate migrants, who have been repeatedly exposed to the climate change-triggered natural hazards. These study findings generate insights into peri-urbanization-triggered climate change vulnerabilities that aid urban policymakers, managers, and planners in their development policy, planning, monitoring and control practices.

Highlights

Due to the global urbanization drives, major metropolitan cities and regions across countries are gradually expanded by continuously encroaching their physical growth boundaries into adjoining peri-urban areas [1,2,3,4]
Built-up areas quadrupled over time and constituted more than half (i.e., 52%) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP) area in 2019, whereas bare soil and vegetation were more than halved within this 30-year period
The analysis reveals that for the DMDP context, predominantly urban areas remained nearly unchanged over time, while the major changes occurred in transitioning predominantly rural areas into peri-urban areas (Table 5)

Summary

Introduction

Due to the global urbanization drives, major metropolitan cities and regions across countries are gradually expanded by continuously encroaching their physical growth boundaries into adjoining peri-urban areas [1,2,3,4]. Peri-urban areas are vulnerable to climate change impacts [7,8]. These peri-urban growth pockets provoke considerable growth challenges to policymakers [9,10,11]. Peri-urban in-migrants for the context of developed nations are predominantly amenity-led migrants [14,15]. Contrariwise, such in-migration in developing countries context is largely attributed by forced factors such as poverty, lack of employment, and climate change impacts—e.g., sea-level-rise, river erosion, flooding, salinity intrusion, and drought [16,17]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion