In second day (December 28) of NRB conference, a seminar on ‘Informal sector and urban environmental management legacies in planning’ was held. At the seminar ATM Nurul Amin, professor of Urban Environmental Management at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, delivered a keynote speech. ASM Rashidul Hai, secretary to housing and public works ministry, was present as chief guest at the seminar.
In presentation professor Nurul Amin said before Dhaka could complete building the basic infrastructures like housing, road network or water supply the city is burdened with managing solid waste as well as water and air pollution which will be a massive challenge in future."
He said it is important to integrate the informal sectors like waste pickers or those involved in recycling business into mainstream urban planning and environmental management.
"We have to learn how to turn waste dumping sites into gold mines," he added. He said it is also important to influence human behavior to curb environmental disaster.
Other speakers at the seminar said the issue of urban environmental management is one of the massive challenges facing the city leaders.
They said it would be easier to meet the challenges by involving NRB resources in urban environment planning and other development work provided corruption is curtailed.
In that case, the NRBs will have the atmosphere to come forward with their investment, education, insight and skill in solving various matters, they added.
Speaking on the occasion Bangladeshi origin Senator of Michigan State of USA Hansen Hashim Clarke said global economy is not a one-way avenue for Bangladesh that it will only be at the receiving end, it goes both ways.
He said Bangladesh has lots to offer to the world and Non-Resident Bangladeshis have proved this fact in many ways.
Aziz Khandker, vice-president of Lakeshore Engineering Services Ltd in Michigan, spoke on water supply, public sanitation and environmental issues. He said that it is seriously related to public health and urban environmental management.
"The water supply and sewerage network in Dhaka city is in bad shape because the system is very old. Sewer spill over, water logging during rain and contaminated water are degrading the environment posing serious threat to public health," he added.
The speakers shared video clippings of automated machines used in the developed world to repair underground sanitation network and innovative technologies used in treating polluted water.
They also discussed lack of coordination among the major government agencies, accountability and long-term commitment of the officials concerned, and offered to help build a better Bangladesh.
Rajuk Chairman K A M Harun said, "To build transparency Rajuk has introduced a ‘Citizen’s Charter’. We are trying to monitor the on-going work."
Dhaka City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Md Alauddin said, "The pressure of 10 million populations is immense. Added to this is budget constraints and inadequate infrastructure."
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