Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise, increased frequency of cyclones, and flooding. These climate-related challenges also pose significant risks to urban systems and sustainable urban development, requiring adaptation and resilience measures to protect urban areas and their inhabitants. The case of the Satkhira municipality demonstrates the impacts of climate change on urban systems in Bangladesh and provides the opportunity to discuss possible solutions to make Satkhira a more resilient city.
In one of the most populous countries, Bangladesh– as its population growth has slowed down slightly in recent years, urbanization is accelerating. By 2050, nearly half the population will live in cities, driven partly by climate-induced migration.
It is predicted that in the upcoming decades, as sea levels will rise significantly due to melting glaciers and ocean thermal expansion, low-lying coastal communities are under significant risks from flooding, saline seeping into freshwater sources, and accelerated coastal erosion. The impact of climate change on the urban system in Bangladesh is profound and multifaceted, affecting infrastructure, public health, water resources, and socioeconomic dynamics.
Its impact is already evident, particularly in Satkhira district, where climate change has several adverse impacts, including flooding, extreme temperature, water-logging and drainage congestion, water pollution, water, and vector-borne diseases. The impacts of precipitation change, such as erratic and unseasonal rainfall, rising temperatures, climate-induced migration, and salinity intrusion, have led to floods, water-logging, heat waves, cold waves and freshwater scarcity.
The case of water-logging in the Satkhira municipality
Water-logging is a pressing concern in the context of climate change and is worsening in the Satkhira municipality. Prolonged water-logging has caused significant displacement of people, creating challenges to the safe water supply, sanitation, shelter, food security, and employment. Due to the siltation of main rivers and khals, water cannot drain out, leaving the land waterlogged for two to four months each year, making it unsuitable for dwellings. It is important that urbanization in these areas is discouraged.
Heavy and persistent monsoon rainfall is the primary cause of water-logging, worsened by a lack of drainage channels. Water-logging significantly impacts water resources in Satkhira municipality and submerges roads, low-lying areas, commercial spaces, and slums due to insufficient and poorly planned drainage systems. The increasing proportion of impermeable surfaces (such as roads, buildings, and pavements) reduces surface infiltration and groundwater recharge, leading to higher surface runoff and peak flow during heavy rainfall. The construction of urban drainage networks often fails to keep pace with urbanization, resulting in inadequate infrastructure for managing excess water.
Traditionally, the primary strategy for controlling water-logging was to expand drainage capacity, but this depends on factors such as surface characteristics, drainage systems, and land use. When these factors do not support increased drainage, alternative approaches must be explored for effective water-logging management.
Saltwater intrusion, waste management and heat waves
Due to sea level rise, saltwater intrusion is increasing day by day and, in the Satkhira municipality, all of the surface water bodies and many of the groundwater points are saline.
Water-logging and flooding are also responsible for fragile waste management systems. The waste dumping station of the Satkhira municipality is 5 km from the city and, during monsoons, the water transportation road becomes waterlogged several times. As a result, waste transportation becomes impossible during the monsoon season, and the city dwellers report that many parts of the city become waste dumping stations and spread pollution, which causes waterborne and airborne diseases in the city.
In the last couple of years, heat waves have been a concerning issue in the Satkhira municipality, along with other cities in Bangladesh. Several times during the summer, the city experiences a heat wave. Heat waves and urban heat islands (UHIs) are interconnected phenomena that significantly impact urban environments and negatively affect certain groups, such as day laborers involved in construction and rickshaw pullers who face trouble working the whole day during the summer due to heat waves.
Impacts on urban planning, infrastructure and human health
With the changing scenario of climate change, urban systems, governance, and urban planning are under threat. In the future, changes in the frequency and intensity of water-logging, and the increasing trend of salinity in the Satkhira municipality will reduce the land area available for planning and development. The reduction of rainfall and increased temperatures will cause land subsidence as water tables fall, rendering land unstable for development.
Higher temperatures and heat waves will intensify the urban heat-island effect, with negative implications for energy and water consumption and human health. Increased temperature, wind speed, and storms will interrupt connectivity in transport, and water system services in urban areas, including increased frequency of breakdown of water pipelines, drainage, culvert, and road infrastructure. Climate change will also threaten the sustainability of water use in urban centers by reducing water availability, declining groundwater level, and quality from surface and groundwater sources, while water demand for households will increase as temperatures rise.
Increases in the intensity of rainfall will put pressure on drainage systems and cause prolonged flooding in the municipality. It will also inundate transport infrastructure, causing disruptions in traffic and economic activity. Changes in temperature, precipitation, and the intensity and distribution of water-logging events will damage infrastructure, such as drainage, waste bins, roads, disrupting the level of services provided and shortening its longevity.
An increase in the frequency and duration of heat waves is likely to increase mortality and morbidity, particularly for the elderly, children, physically handicapped, slum dwellers, and day laborers. High temperatures will contribute to widespread heat stress and heat wave-induced illnesses such as dehydration and asthma. Increases in the intensity of waterlogging and salinity will result in the contamination of water resources and will increase the incidence of waterborne diseases. The slum people, the poor, the elderly, day laborers, especially rickshaw pullers, and construction laborers, are highly vulnerable to climate change because of limited access to livelihood opportunities and safe and healthy dwellings. Consequently, they are more exposed to risks from heat waves, water-logging and salinity.
Towards a climate-smart city
To promote a climate-resilient system as well as climate-smart Satkhira municipality, there needs to be non-structural interventions, as well as the organization and activation of community-led and managed mechanisms such as the Ward Disaster Management Committee (WDMC) and Town Level Coordination Committee (TLCC). There is also a need to integrate the management of water-logging, salinity, and heat stress into spatial planning, which may entail limiting new development in the municipality areas.
Alleviation of the urban heat-island effect can be achieved by greening areas, providing shade by using green coverage, and restoring urban forests and water bodies. There is also a need to increase the coverage of infrastructure services for low-income groups and slum people to enhance their adaptive capacity and prevent more inequities from climate change.
To develop a sustainable water system, increasing groundwater recharge and surface storage capacity, including rainwater harvesting, and restoration and conservation of existing surface water bodies are essential to provide water resources to the citizens. There is also a need to promote the adoption of water conservation techniques and the reduction in non-revenue water to improve resilience to decreased water availability. Development of additional or redesigned drainage could help alleviate the effects of increased precipitation, whilst improvement and capacity enhancement of water treatment would maintain the quality of water and level of sanitation.
Eco-friendly materials should be promoted in road and building construction to reduce the urban heat island effect. Protection of surface waters from water-logging and polluted floodwaters and improved water treatment and sanitation to reduce waterborne diseases are essential.
To promote a sustainable, climate-resilient city, it is essential to consider the complex and interrelated impacts of climate change on urban infrastructure. This includes addressing water pollution through proper waste management and treatment initiatives, which require increased resource allocation for waste collection, transportation, and disposal, along with the development of adequate waste treatment infrastructure.
In addition, efforts to ensure equitable access to clean drinking water for all communities and implementation of sustainable water management practices such as rainwater harvesting, are important. Finally, municipalities and local governments should prioritize the repair and maintenance of roads and drainage systems to enhance transportation resilience and prevent water-logging.
