Nature-based solutions for our towns and cities

By Haseeb Md Irfanullah

When we talk about nature-based solutions (NbS)—that is protecting, managing, restoring or creating ecosystems for the benefit of the people and biodiversity—we almost always think of wilderness or rural areas. We think of famous forests like the Sundarbans, large wetlands like Hakaluki Haor or Chalan Beel, or impressive plantations of the Bangladesh Forest Department, NGOs, and villagers throughout the country.

But what about our cities and towns? Can we have any NbS for them?

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Unfortunately, a study done in 2012 showed that Dhaka lost 46 percent of its green space between 1975 and 2005. In the last 15 years, Dhaka has expanded a lot—both vertically and horizontally. So, the loss as well as the gain of greenery have happened, especially on the city edges.

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A coastal town can also benefit from having a mangrove belt looking over the Bay of Bengal. Such stretches of mangroves can reduce high wind speeds as well as protect a town from coastal floods. Similarly, for a town located by a river, as many of our towns are, especially those with river ports, we can think of NbS along with concrete blocks, gabion walls or embankments to protect it. We can create riparian vegetation outside these grey infrastructure, which will act as the first line of defence to rising flood water and erosion.

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Bangladesh has started 2021 with new opportunities for urban NbS. The government's 8th Five Year Plan (2020−2025) has incorporated elements of nature-based approaches and interventions in its Urban Development Strategy, especially keeping in mind the need for improving urban environment and building resilience to disasters and climate change. To transform Bangladesh into a "climate resilient delta nation", the Perspective Plan of Bangladesh 2021-2041—a plan to make Bangladesh a high-income country—also realises the need for synergising interventions in urban and environmental sectors.

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