REJUVENATION OF CHAKTAI KHAL, CHATTOGRAM, BANGLADESH

Abstract

Water has been a significant concern in urban planning since its inception. A significant number of ancient civilizations, such as the Minoan, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian civilizations, emerged near water sources (Lakmali & Premarathna, 2017). The early development of civilizations can be attributed to the fulfilment of fundamental necessities required for the daily lives of its inhabitants, including but not limited to potable water, domestic use, agricultural production, industrial activities, and leisure (Lakmali & Premarathna, 2017). The presence of an urban water body can exert a noteworthy influence on the physical, social, biological, environmental, and economic dimensions of an urban terrain, thereby conferring a distinctive character to a city (Lakmali & Premarathna, 2017). Additionally, a water body helps to preserve a city's conceived memory and historical legacy by helping to create an identical image of the city (Lakmali & Premarathna, 2017). Cities are losing connectivity with their water resources because of the so-called urbanization process. Most often, unplanned urban sprawl has changed waterbodies into places that are neglected and hidden from the view of city dwellers. Thus, the areas around the waterbodies turn into brownfield and blight areas. The rapid rate of urbanization is resulting in detrimental effects on their hydrology and their ecology. By 2050, 68% of the global population is expected to reside in urban regions, as reported by Global Urbanization Prospects (World Urbanization Prospect : The 2018 Revision: Key Aspects, 2018). More demographic increase in urban areas denotes more impervious land, thus less rainfall infiltration into the soil, causing historically unprecedented flooding events (Tingsanchali∗, 2011). Increased urbanization and climate change are causing pluvial flooding in cities ( Ahmed, Meenar, & Alam, 2019). Annual expected flooding-related damage in the UK exceeds £1 billion (O’Donnella, Thornea, Ahilan, Arthur, & Birkinshaw). Economic losses from floods are just part of the story when you include the indirect costs, which include things like ecosystem service degradation, business interruption, supply chain shocks, and welfare consequences (such effects on health and wellbeing). (O’Donnella, Thornea, Ahilan, Arthur, & Birkinshaw).