Mega City - Dhaka
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Located on the banks of the Buriganga River lies Dhaka; the capital city of Bangladesh. This megacity is the 7th largest populous city in the world, with an estimated population of 15 million, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. It is expected to reach a staggering population of 25 million by 2025 (growing at a fast rate of 4.2% per year).The number of Dhaka City’s young population is relatively high due to the age selective rural-urban migration. About 40% of the total city’s population is in the unproductive age groups of 0-14 and 60+ years of age; indicating a high dependency burden on the working age population. This high dependency among the city’s population causes poverty, especially among the lower income groups in the city. Under the pressure of its rapidly swelling population, this megacity faces rising real estate prices, exponentially growing slums, unemployment, exploitation, corruption, poor quality housing facilities, inadequate clean water supply and poor sanitation. These are all similar challenges experienced by other mega-cities. Modern Dhaka is the centre of political, cultural and economic life in Bangladesh and has the most developed urban infrastructure in the world. The city has a growing middle class population, driving the market for modern consumer and luxury goods. This makes Dhaka a primate city i.e. a city that completely dominates other urban centres within the country.
The city is located in central Bangladesh and lies on the lower reaches of the Ganges Delta, covering a total area of 360km2. Dhaka may be one of the worst situated urban areas in the world; it is located in wetlands and virtually surrounded by some of the greatest rivers in the world. The lowest parts of the city are little more than 2m above sea level, making the city prone to serious flooding. Below is an illustration of the risk of flood in Dhaka.
As you can see in Figure 7, the areas prone to flooding are greater than that of
Located on the banks of the Buriganga River lies Dhaka; the capital city of Bangladesh. This megacity is the 7th largest populous city in the world, with an estimated population of 15 million, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. It is expected to reach a staggering population of 25 million by 2025 (growing at a fast rate of 4.2% per year).The number of Dhaka City’s young population is relatively high due to the age selective rural-urban migration. About 40% of the total city’s population is in the unproductive age groups of 0-14 and 60+ years of age; indicating a high dependency burden on the working age population. This high dependency among the city’s population causes poverty, especially among the lower income groups in the city. Under the pressure of its rapidly swelling population, this megacity faces rising real estate prices, exponentially growing slums, unemployment, exploitation, corruption, poor quality housing facilities, inadequate clean water supply and poor sanitation. These are all similar challenges experienced by other mega-cities. Modern Dhaka is the centre of political, cultural and economic life in Bangladesh and has the most developed urban infrastructure in the world. The city has a growing middle class population, driving the market for modern consumer and luxury goods. This makes Dhaka a primate city i.e. a city that completely dominates other urban centres within the country.
The city is located in central Bangladesh and lies on the lower reaches of the Ganges Delta, covering a total area of 360km2. Dhaka may be one of the worst situated urban areas in the world; it is located in wetlands and virtually surrounded by some of the greatest rivers in the world. The lowest parts of the city are little more than 2m above sea level, making the city prone to serious flooding. Below is an illustration of the risk of flood in Dhaka.
As you can see in Figure 7, the areas prone to flooding are greater than that of