Urban Green and Urban Environment in Dha
Urban Green and Urban Environment in Dhaka
Qazi Azizul Mowla
Introduction:
Like any other sustainable city, Dhaka needs a huge stock of open spaces for urban
services or utilities and circulation besides space needed for different public functions
and recreational activities. It is know that for a healthy city we need a right balance and
proportion of open and built-up spaces. Open green spaces in the city acts like its lungs
besides, being used as active recreational and leisure areas for its citizens. Circulation
areas also, though serving active purposes, provided some breathing space to the
urbanities. Spaces provided for the utilities also serve some passive needs. We, therefore,
must realize that open spaces have a direct impact on the urban environment and general
physical, mental and social health of the urban dwellers. Studies show that huge amount
of carbon is locked up in above-ground vegetation, equivalent to about 3.16 kg C per
square meter of the city, which seems greater than current estimates. Most of this carbon
pool is associated with trees planted in open spaces. What we are discussing in this article
is basically urban greening at micro levels but for the sustainability of urban environment
a macro level planning is equally important. Following sections discusses the problem at
a macro level.
Key issues for eco-sustainable urbanization
Transports: an integrated approach includes tram lines, restrictions on car traffic, a network of cycle and
pedestrian routes, underground parking, car sharing and people-friendly street design.
Nature: a comprehensive ‘green plan’ with special attention to biodiversity, extensive use of green drainage
and roofs, as well as infiltration and biological water treatment.
Green buildings: requirement for very low energy use in all buildings, healthy materials, low water use and
sewage discharge, waste separation, district cooling/heating and many projects with renewable energy.
Social and cultural quality: a good social mix is the most important requirement for lively and successful
communities In addition to mixed use and large numbers of work places, priority is to be given to children and
the elderly and to affordable housing. There should be many community and cultural facilities.
Information: a special project group is to be set up to influence attitudes, inform and promote environmental
understanding. Communication is recognized as key factor in such efforts.
The Context of Urban Development in Dhaka:
Our developer have made the word ‘development’ synonymous with destruction of
environment but it is not so. There will be need for constructions or cutting of trees for
development activities but that needs to be done in a planned manner with planned
replenishment of the nature to keep the biomass in a balanced state. Although there are
schemes of Social Forestry in the urban areas still they could not yield satisfactory results
so far in terms of biomass and productivity because the basic spirit of such efforts are not
understood. The basic concept of ecosystem is that every thing is related to every thing
else. There fore any fragmented approach is disdained to fail. It is believed that a
comprehensive (multidisciplinary) approach is needed to tackle the crisis. We must be
aware of the interrelationships of physical and biological elements of environment to
create a sustainable environment. Appropriate balance of living and nonliving parts of
environment need to be promoted to maintain a sustainable ecosystem, because a stable
urban morphology is always alive and careful landscape planning and design has a role to
play in it.
Instead of protecting the open spaces for the sake of a balanced urban environment there
were insidious attempts to destroy the greenery since independence. Trees, particularly
large ones, should be protected and maintained and if more trees are planted in urban
areas for their carbon storage value, they must be the right kind of tree planted in the right
place so that they have a long, productive life span, and when trees die they should be
replaced. But we observe in our cities, many open spaces in the city were gradually
encroached upon in the last decades and plants were indiscriminately destroyed. For
example in 1972 there were plans to exhume the open space now called Osmany Udyan.
In the late seventies there were much-publicized events of mass felling of avenue trees in
the name of road development and more recently grabbing of open spaces are noticed in
order to create markets and residential plots. Who gets profit from these acts and at what
environmental cost?
Figure-1: Distribution of Open Spaces in Dhaka
A study in the University of Kent (UK) reveals that "Large trees are especially important
carbon stores. Most of the publicly owned or managed land across Leicester is grassland.
If just 10% of this were planted with trees, the existing carbon pool across the city could
be increased by 12%." The same study continues to say that "Currently, once land in the
UK is considered to be urban its biological carbon density is assumed to be zero. The
studies illustrate that it is not the case and that there is a substantial pool of carbon locked
away in the vegetation within a city -- another reason why urban trees and green spaces
should be valued." Dhaka’s situation is not much different. Sometimes the policy makers
indulge in these acts of destructions innocently and some times they know the
consequences very well but do it out of their petty interest. The responsibilities to detract
the policy makers lie with the organization that manages these spaces. In early seventies
and more recently, the policy makers could be desisted from total destruction of Osmany
Udyan and complete destruction of avenue trees by the timely counseling to the policy
makers by the managing bodies and some conscious citizens. The Vijaya Sthambha is
being constructed in the middle of Suhrawardi Udyan that is already been encroached
upon by various functions like the Shishu Park, Engineers Institution, Roads and
Highways office, Shishu academy and so on – these have a destructive effect on the open
space unless planned sensitively considering the park like natural environment. The point
is that, if the case is properly or convincingly placed to the policy makers, on most
occasions they seem to listen to the people. Therefore there is a need for awareness and
sensitivity among the relevant officials / people regarding environmental issues of
ecosystem. Parks and open spaces and the vegetation there in are valuable assets for
sustainable urbanization.
Figure-2: Ramna Park with surrounding land uses (Once the whole area was Ramna Green)
Management of Urban Open Spaces
Many organizations manage and maintain these urban open spaces of which largest
chunks are managed by public works Department (PWD) and Dhaka City Corporation
(DCC) besides other organizations like Cantonment Board, Educational institutions,
Sports bodies, Botanic and Zoological gardens etc. (Figure-1). An example will show the
sensitivity level of our civic bodies- DCC do not even have proper inventory of urban
open spaces under their control. In early seventies open spaces managed by DCC was
estimated to be about 250 acres but recent approximate stock taking reveal that the
amount has gone down to below 200 acre mark. Problem of private encroachment onto
public land - for instance influential real estate interest being allowed to site new
development on public land including parks and green belts (water bodies) is quite
common in Dhaka (Unauthorized land grabbing by influential quarters is also a common
phenomenon). When questioned, the RAJUK or DCC authorities defend themselves by
saying that when we can’t use reserved land (open space, water bodies), the original
users/owners take legal help to de-acquisition of those lands from the government or we
put them on more economic use. Since the owners were once paid off, how can the land
go back to them? This is actually a case of negligence in the part of public agencies
responsible for those properties-in fact they don’t defend public properties properly in the
courts to serve their own interest. How can we say that the public open spaces are not
being used? There are water bodies or lakes, the roads, the greenery, the public open
spaces or parks on which urban dynamics depend. How can we say we are not using
them? This is at least a passive recreation for those living in the urban setting. This
problem needs to be addressed immediately. As a short term strategy for land pooling
under hierarchy of open spaces in Dhaka’s urban area the following may be considered.
Possible relocation of Dhaka Central Jail and already vacated Dhaka Airport land in the
heart of the city has provided us an opportunity of the century to make up for the scarcity
of open landscape - let us see how we deal with this. As a long term strategy towards that
direction, prospect of relocating Dhaka Cantonment, Border Guards Bangladesh
Headquarters and perhaps university campuses may be explored to release a large chunk
of land in the heart of the city which otherwise creates many urban problems. Ramna area
may also be cleared of some unnecessary establishments to increase the urban central
green stock (Figure-2).
The Sustainability Needs:
In the developed countries, in order to create a balanced and sustainable urban
environment, we find that up to about 75% of urban area is retained for open spaces.
Ideally this should this be about 40-50% but in a compact or dense situation like ours
recommended lower margin is about 25% of urban space. According to the western
standards, about 10 acres of recreational open space per 1000 population is recommended
but minimum should not be less than 1/10th of this standard. If we go by the lower margin
we see that Dhaka needs about 10-12% of urban area as recreational open space alone.
Besides, significant amount of open space is also needed for circulation purpose (at
present there is about 2500 miles of urban road length) that together amounts to a
minimum of about 30-35% of urban area. Against an acceptable standard of about 25%
urban greenery, the Park greenery or tree-covered spaces in Dhaka constitute less than
15% of the city landscape. According to recent studies, old Dhaka has only 5% and new
Dhaka has about 12% open space. The Dhaka structure plan suggests that, all type
including, the open space should be at least 20%. It has been reported that more than 500
acres of public land designated for some use is lying vacant in Dhaka. If vacant lands
owned by private industries and institutional lands owned by railways, port-authorities,
universities etc are also taken into account, these figures may swell to a much higher
figure. These statistics though grave is not totally hopeless. We can even act now to save
the situation.
The lively spaces have a pattern of events associated with it. Cumulative effect of these
spaces, events and morphology gives the city an image. The image of Dhaka is not
derived from its concrete parts like building, roads etc. it is much deeper and more fluid,
that is, its people, pattern of spaces and activities therein, the relationship between the
living and nonliving part of its environment, time, space and the people. Open spaces are
an integral part of this image out of which Dhaka has emerged. Open spaces and parks
are insecure and crime prone when they are not properly designed or planned. The
proximity or the security of a space, variety and specialty of activities available, visibility
or legibility and intimacy or personalization of the area together with its porosity or
permeability are the key attributes of a successful design and lively spaces. Quality of
particular way or route which leads to a particular space, quality of surrounding spaces
and environment within, are very important for assemblage of people and thus keep the
city’s image intact (Figure 3), Shangshad Bhaban Precinct may be seen here as an example of
integrated design. In Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Banani etc though open spaces and water
bodies are provided, they are not integrated well in the settlement system (Figure 4). So it
is fundamentally location, environment and hierarchy of activities leading to a space that
constitute appropriate orientation. Likewise, a successful civic space must be sufficiently
adored with elements, which provide scale and are in harmony with the general sitting,
seeing or standing habits of the people. It does not have to be a concrete element, natural
elements such as plants can very well serve these purpose.
The human quality and organic order have been shattered due to the insensitivity of city
developers giving rise to the aggression of noise, pollution and crime. For example, it is
observed that places with less than 60 dB sound levels are more human friendly and
naturally, here also the nature (green belts and open spaces) has a role to play to combat
social and physical pollutions. Therefore, for our own survival and urban sustainability
there is a need to protect whatever open land including the wetland or water bodies that
we have at our disposal and integrate them with our city planning with appropriate urban
design or landscape design strategy,
Figure-03: Shangshad Bhaban Precinct design considering open spaces and water bodies as its
integral part.
Key aspects of the development on ecological basis in Malmö, Sweden (may
be seen as an example):
Energy: 100% renewable energy supply (perhaps the first in the world to reach this) including wind, sun, bio fuels
and geothermal power, as well as biogas from sewage and waste.
Biodiversity: special attention paid to a very green profile, with parks and landscaping features. Buildings also had
to attain a level of ‘green points’, which led to numerous innovative grass roof, facade and planting solutions.
Water cycles: all rainwater is infiltrated to the ground on site - independent of mains drainage - through the use of
green roofs, reed beds, retaining ponds and swales.
Transports: pedestrian and cycle paths, an ecological bus net work, and a special “mobility center” with a service
centre for electric and bio fuel cars and car sharing. Unfortunately, private cars have also crept into the scheme,
together with basement car parks, which many find both a negative and anti-social addition.
Aesthetic quality: a strong quality control program based on key concepts of identity, variety, complexity, human
scale meeting places, security and sensory experience.
Social goals for mixed community composition, services and shops have been less successful. It will take some
years before the right level of urban vitality is attained.
Building design: high demands were set for reduction of wastes and water use, energy (105kwh/m2), and healthy
materials. All contractors were required to be environmentally certified. Environmentally friendly solutions for
appliances include energy efficient lighting and shielded electric cabling.
Urban layout is according to bioclimatic principles using sun, light and wind sheltering, as well as the introduction of
variety and interest through subdivision into small plots, as opposed to the developers’ preference for large ‘plots.
Nonetheless, the layout is compact and space effective.
Information technology and communication: a project in its own right, ‘Intelligent Bo01’ integrates broadband,
intra-net, alarms and facilities management processes from an overall system level right down to individual
apartments.
Dhnmondi
Lake
Road No 27
Mirpur Road
Figure-04: Dhanmondi R/A Designed with open spaces and water-bodies but not properly
integrated.
Conclusion:
In a nut shell we may say that there is still sufficient scope to rectify the wrongs with
appropriate interventions or proper planning and design, but the prime need is to make
the authorities and people aware regarding the value of open spaces in the city life. They
have specific duties to protect and maintain the areas under their control and that they are
accountable to the general public for what they have been trusted with and that they
should not consider these areas as their private property and do whatever they like. With
judicious planning the vegetation situation (carbon stock) may be much improved which
in turn will help sustainable eco development of urban Dhaka.
Dr. Qazi Azizul Mowla, Professor, Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering
and Technology (BUET), Dhaka-1000. E-mail: qmowla@yahoo.co.uk
Qazi Azizul Mowla
Introduction:
Like any other sustainable city, Dhaka needs a huge stock of open spaces for urban
services or utilities and circulation besides space needed for different public functions
and recreational activities. It is know that for a healthy city we need a right balance and
proportion of open and built-up spaces. Open green spaces in the city acts like its lungs
besides, being used as active recreational and leisure areas for its citizens. Circulation
areas also, though serving active purposes, provided some breathing space to the
urbanities. Spaces provided for the utilities also serve some passive needs. We, therefore,
must realize that open spaces have a direct impact on the urban environment and general
physical, mental and social health of the urban dwellers. Studies show that huge amount
of carbon is locked up in above-ground vegetation, equivalent to about 3.16 kg C per
square meter of the city, which seems greater than current estimates. Most of this carbon
pool is associated with trees planted in open spaces. What we are discussing in this article
is basically urban greening at micro levels but for the sustainability of urban environment
a macro level planning is equally important. Following sections discusses the problem at
a macro level.
Key issues for eco-sustainable urbanization
Transports: an integrated approach includes tram lines, restrictions on car traffic, a network of cycle and
pedestrian routes, underground parking, car sharing and people-friendly street design.
Nature: a comprehensive ‘green plan’ with special attention to biodiversity, extensive use of green drainage
and roofs, as well as infiltration and biological water treatment.
Green buildings: requirement for very low energy use in all buildings, healthy materials, low water use and
sewage discharge, waste separation, district cooling/heating and many projects with renewable energy.
Social and cultural quality: a good social mix is the most important requirement for lively and successful
communities In addition to mixed use and large numbers of work places, priority is to be given to children and
the elderly and to affordable housing. There should be many community and cultural facilities.
Information: a special project group is to be set up to influence attitudes, inform and promote environmental
understanding. Communication is recognized as key factor in such efforts.
The Context of Urban Development in Dhaka:
Our developer have made the word ‘development’ synonymous with destruction of
environment but it is not so. There will be need for constructions or cutting of trees for
development activities but that needs to be done in a planned manner with planned
replenishment of the nature to keep the biomass in a balanced state. Although there are
schemes of Social Forestry in the urban areas still they could not yield satisfactory results
so far in terms of biomass and productivity because the basic spirit of such efforts are not
understood. The basic concept of ecosystem is that every thing is related to every thing
else. There fore any fragmented approach is disdained to fail. It is believed that a
comprehensive (multidisciplinary) approach is needed to tackle the crisis. We must be
aware of the interrelationships of physical and biological elements of environment to
create a sustainable environment. Appropriate balance of living and nonliving parts of
environment need to be promoted to maintain a sustainable ecosystem, because a stable
urban morphology is always alive and careful landscape planning and design has a role to
play in it.
Instead of protecting the open spaces for the sake of a balanced urban environment there
were insidious attempts to destroy the greenery since independence. Trees, particularly
large ones, should be protected and maintained and if more trees are planted in urban
areas for their carbon storage value, they must be the right kind of tree planted in the right
place so that they have a long, productive life span, and when trees die they should be
replaced. But we observe in our cities, many open spaces in the city were gradually
encroached upon in the last decades and plants were indiscriminately destroyed. For
example in 1972 there were plans to exhume the open space now called Osmany Udyan.
In the late seventies there were much-publicized events of mass felling of avenue trees in
the name of road development and more recently grabbing of open spaces are noticed in
order to create markets and residential plots. Who gets profit from these acts and at what
environmental cost?
Figure-1: Distribution of Open Spaces in Dhaka
A study in the University of Kent (UK) reveals that "Large trees are especially important
carbon stores. Most of the publicly owned or managed land across Leicester is grassland.
If just 10% of this were planted with trees, the existing carbon pool across the city could
be increased by 12%." The same study continues to say that "Currently, once land in the
UK is considered to be urban its biological carbon density is assumed to be zero. The
studies illustrate that it is not the case and that there is a substantial pool of carbon locked
away in the vegetation within a city -- another reason why urban trees and green spaces
should be valued." Dhaka’s situation is not much different. Sometimes the policy makers
indulge in these acts of destructions innocently and some times they know the
consequences very well but do it out of their petty interest. The responsibilities to detract
the policy makers lie with the organization that manages these spaces. In early seventies
and more recently, the policy makers could be desisted from total destruction of Osmany
Udyan and complete destruction of avenue trees by the timely counseling to the policy
makers by the managing bodies and some conscious citizens. The Vijaya Sthambha is
being constructed in the middle of Suhrawardi Udyan that is already been encroached
upon by various functions like the Shishu Park, Engineers Institution, Roads and
Highways office, Shishu academy and so on – these have a destructive effect on the open
space unless planned sensitively considering the park like natural environment. The point
is that, if the case is properly or convincingly placed to the policy makers, on most
occasions they seem to listen to the people. Therefore there is a need for awareness and
sensitivity among the relevant officials / people regarding environmental issues of
ecosystem. Parks and open spaces and the vegetation there in are valuable assets for
sustainable urbanization.
Figure-2: Ramna Park with surrounding land uses (Once the whole area was Ramna Green)
Management of Urban Open Spaces
Many organizations manage and maintain these urban open spaces of which largest
chunks are managed by public works Department (PWD) and Dhaka City Corporation
(DCC) besides other organizations like Cantonment Board, Educational institutions,
Sports bodies, Botanic and Zoological gardens etc. (Figure-1). An example will show the
sensitivity level of our civic bodies- DCC do not even have proper inventory of urban
open spaces under their control. In early seventies open spaces managed by DCC was
estimated to be about 250 acres but recent approximate stock taking reveal that the
amount has gone down to below 200 acre mark. Problem of private encroachment onto
public land - for instance influential real estate interest being allowed to site new
development on public land including parks and green belts (water bodies) is quite
common in Dhaka (Unauthorized land grabbing by influential quarters is also a common
phenomenon). When questioned, the RAJUK or DCC authorities defend themselves by
saying that when we can’t use reserved land (open space, water bodies), the original
users/owners take legal help to de-acquisition of those lands from the government or we
put them on more economic use. Since the owners were once paid off, how can the land
go back to them? This is actually a case of negligence in the part of public agencies
responsible for those properties-in fact they don’t defend public properties properly in the
courts to serve their own interest. How can we say that the public open spaces are not
being used? There are water bodies or lakes, the roads, the greenery, the public open
spaces or parks on which urban dynamics depend. How can we say we are not using
them? This is at least a passive recreation for those living in the urban setting. This
problem needs to be addressed immediately. As a short term strategy for land pooling
under hierarchy of open spaces in Dhaka’s urban area the following may be considered.
Possible relocation of Dhaka Central Jail and already vacated Dhaka Airport land in the
heart of the city has provided us an opportunity of the century to make up for the scarcity
of open landscape - let us see how we deal with this. As a long term strategy towards that
direction, prospect of relocating Dhaka Cantonment, Border Guards Bangladesh
Headquarters and perhaps university campuses may be explored to release a large chunk
of land in the heart of the city which otherwise creates many urban problems. Ramna area
may also be cleared of some unnecessary establishments to increase the urban central
green stock (Figure-2).
The Sustainability Needs:
In the developed countries, in order to create a balanced and sustainable urban
environment, we find that up to about 75% of urban area is retained for open spaces.
Ideally this should this be about 40-50% but in a compact or dense situation like ours
recommended lower margin is about 25% of urban space. According to the western
standards, about 10 acres of recreational open space per 1000 population is recommended
but minimum should not be less than 1/10th of this standard. If we go by the lower margin
we see that Dhaka needs about 10-12% of urban area as recreational open space alone.
Besides, significant amount of open space is also needed for circulation purpose (at
present there is about 2500 miles of urban road length) that together amounts to a
minimum of about 30-35% of urban area. Against an acceptable standard of about 25%
urban greenery, the Park greenery or tree-covered spaces in Dhaka constitute less than
15% of the city landscape. According to recent studies, old Dhaka has only 5% and new
Dhaka has about 12% open space. The Dhaka structure plan suggests that, all type
including, the open space should be at least 20%. It has been reported that more than 500
acres of public land designated for some use is lying vacant in Dhaka. If vacant lands
owned by private industries and institutional lands owned by railways, port-authorities,
universities etc are also taken into account, these figures may swell to a much higher
figure. These statistics though grave is not totally hopeless. We can even act now to save
the situation.
The lively spaces have a pattern of events associated with it. Cumulative effect of these
spaces, events and morphology gives the city an image. The image of Dhaka is not
derived from its concrete parts like building, roads etc. it is much deeper and more fluid,
that is, its people, pattern of spaces and activities therein, the relationship between the
living and nonliving part of its environment, time, space and the people. Open spaces are
an integral part of this image out of which Dhaka has emerged. Open spaces and parks
are insecure and crime prone when they are not properly designed or planned. The
proximity or the security of a space, variety and specialty of activities available, visibility
or legibility and intimacy or personalization of the area together with its porosity or
permeability are the key attributes of a successful design and lively spaces. Quality of
particular way or route which leads to a particular space, quality of surrounding spaces
and environment within, are very important for assemblage of people and thus keep the
city’s image intact (Figure 3), Shangshad Bhaban Precinct may be seen here as an example of
integrated design. In Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Banani etc though open spaces and water
bodies are provided, they are not integrated well in the settlement system (Figure 4). So it
is fundamentally location, environment and hierarchy of activities leading to a space that
constitute appropriate orientation. Likewise, a successful civic space must be sufficiently
adored with elements, which provide scale and are in harmony with the general sitting,
seeing or standing habits of the people. It does not have to be a concrete element, natural
elements such as plants can very well serve these purpose.
The human quality and organic order have been shattered due to the insensitivity of city
developers giving rise to the aggression of noise, pollution and crime. For example, it is
observed that places with less than 60 dB sound levels are more human friendly and
naturally, here also the nature (green belts and open spaces) has a role to play to combat
social and physical pollutions. Therefore, for our own survival and urban sustainability
there is a need to protect whatever open land including the wetland or water bodies that
we have at our disposal and integrate them with our city planning with appropriate urban
design or landscape design strategy,
Figure-03: Shangshad Bhaban Precinct design considering open spaces and water bodies as its
integral part.
Key aspects of the development on ecological basis in Malmö, Sweden (may
be seen as an example):
Energy: 100% renewable energy supply (perhaps the first in the world to reach this) including wind, sun, bio fuels
and geothermal power, as well as biogas from sewage and waste.
Biodiversity: special attention paid to a very green profile, with parks and landscaping features. Buildings also had
to attain a level of ‘green points’, which led to numerous innovative grass roof, facade and planting solutions.
Water cycles: all rainwater is infiltrated to the ground on site - independent of mains drainage - through the use of
green roofs, reed beds, retaining ponds and swales.
Transports: pedestrian and cycle paths, an ecological bus net work, and a special “mobility center” with a service
centre for electric and bio fuel cars and car sharing. Unfortunately, private cars have also crept into the scheme,
together with basement car parks, which many find both a negative and anti-social addition.
Aesthetic quality: a strong quality control program based on key concepts of identity, variety, complexity, human
scale meeting places, security and sensory experience.
Social goals for mixed community composition, services and shops have been less successful. It will take some
years before the right level of urban vitality is attained.
Building design: high demands were set for reduction of wastes and water use, energy (105kwh/m2), and healthy
materials. All contractors were required to be environmentally certified. Environmentally friendly solutions for
appliances include energy efficient lighting and shielded electric cabling.
Urban layout is according to bioclimatic principles using sun, light and wind sheltering, as well as the introduction of
variety and interest through subdivision into small plots, as opposed to the developers’ preference for large ‘plots.
Nonetheless, the layout is compact and space effective.
Information technology and communication: a project in its own right, ‘Intelligent Bo01’ integrates broadband,
intra-net, alarms and facilities management processes from an overall system level right down to individual
apartments.
Dhnmondi
Lake
Road No 27
Mirpur Road
Figure-04: Dhanmondi R/A Designed with open spaces and water-bodies but not properly
integrated.
Conclusion:
In a nut shell we may say that there is still sufficient scope to rectify the wrongs with
appropriate interventions or proper planning and design, but the prime need is to make
the authorities and people aware regarding the value of open spaces in the city life. They
have specific duties to protect and maintain the areas under their control and that they are
accountable to the general public for what they have been trusted with and that they
should not consider these areas as their private property and do whatever they like. With
judicious planning the vegetation situation (carbon stock) may be much improved which
in turn will help sustainable eco development of urban Dhaka.
Dr. Qazi Azizul Mowla, Professor, Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering
and Technology (BUET), Dhaka-1000. E-mail: qmowla@yahoo.co.uk