Projects
 

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN FOR KHULNA CITY, BANGLADESH (2002)
Sponsored by:
Regional Urban Development Office (RUDO) for South Asia
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
New Delhi, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh

Summary
The main objective of the study was to develop a comprehensive ERMAP for KCC area. The study has the following specific objectives: 1. Describes steps that should be taken to mitigate environmental problems in the city; 1. Highlights the most important environmental problems in Khulna City, including those that are not being managed properly; 2. Focuses on environmental conditions that affect the health of Khulna City residents; 3. Identifies the knowledge gaps regarding major environmental problems that have not been identified or are not being managed; 4.Helps to increase overall awareness of the citizens regarding major environmental problems and vision; 5.Establishes a process of monitoring progress for environmental improvements and for conducting a periodic review and update of the ERMP; 6. Describes a mechanism by which the involved organisations can address environmental problems in a coordinated and holistic manner; and 7. Describes steps that should be taken to mitigate environmental problems in KCC area in attracting funds from the GoB and international donors and in ensuring that such funds are directed to address the most important problems.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE STUDY ON THE IMPACT ZONE OF THE SUNDARBANS (2001)
Sponsored by:
Sundarbans Biodiversity Conservation Project (SBCP)
Forest Department, Khulna, Bangladesh

Summary
In pursuance of an agreement between the Sundarbans Biodiversity Conservation Project (SBCP) and Urban and Rural Planning Discipline (URPD), Khulna University, Khulna, a study entitled “Socio-Economic Baseline Study of the Impact Zone of the Sundarbans” was conducted. Basically, there were two components of the study: the village census; and the household survey. And as such, the study was carried out in 54 villages and 750 households extracting the Sundarbans resources located in the impact zone (IZ) of the Sundarbans.

The SBCP defines the IZ covering 17 Upazilas and on the seaward side of the Sundarbans Reserved Forest (SRF) extends 20 kilometres into the Bay of Bengal. The IZ comprises 17 Upazilas of 5 Zilas viz. Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur and Barguna around the periphery of the SRF. Basically, the objectives of the baseline study were as follows: 1. To develop a benchmark database for providing necessary information required for designing and implementation of project activities; and, 2. To provide insight into the socio-economic conditions such as access to service, access to institutional finance, group formation, non-formal education, income and livelihoods and overall quality of lives of the user community living with the IZ.

ENVIRONMENTAL MAPS AND WORKBOOK FOR KHULNA CITY, BANGLADESH (1999)
Sponsored by:
Regional Urban Development Office (RUDO) for South Asia
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
New Delhi, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh

Summary
The project aimed at identifying the areas of concern of environmental improvement through comprehensive data collection and analysis and finally preparing a workbook for action. The following are the specific objectives of the project:

  1. To prepare environmental maps for Khulna City, in general and the area covered under the Khulna City Corporation, in particular;

  2. To identify priority areas of action for improving the environmental conditions of the city;

  3. To develop an environmental related database including maps, and a mechanism for updating the same;

  4. To create awareness among the citizens about environmental aspects/issues; and,

  5. To develop a mechanism to ensure people’s participation in environmental management and related issues.

LINK PROGRAMS WITH FOREIGN INSTITUTES AND UNIVERSITIES
In continuation of the academic programme this discipline is highly enlivened to exchange and share education, knowledge and experiences with overseas educational institutions, research organizations etc. Like wise a host of educational link programmes has already been established.

  • A link programme is running between this Discipline and Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (adpc), Thailand funded by European Economic Commission (EEC) and World Bank aimed to institutionalize Disaster Management Programme (DMP) in academic curriculum. Under this programme disaster management methodology will be formulated which will shape up the courses pertaining to disaster and will be practically implemented by the students in the disaster prone areas of Bangladesh. Several study tours, training programmes, workshops etc. are the integral parts of the agreement which will assist the faculties to share and exchange the ideas with other alike professionals.

  • An educational link programme between Mphil in Social Change Programme of Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway and this Discipline is in processing. This programme is aimed to strengthen the capacity of the faculties of Urban and Rural Planning Discipline in multifarious social issues of development.

  • A 'Higher Education Link Programme' is running between Urban and Rural Planning Discipline and the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscaping, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, funded by the British Council and DFID, under the research project entitled “Sustainable environmental management and land use planning for salinity affected coastal regions of Bangladesh: a study on Rupsha Thana, Khulna District, Bangladesh”. The overall objectives of the research project are to improve livelihoods for poor people through the development of techniques of land use planning and integrated environmental management and to help reduce the loss of bio-diversity and resolve social conflict in a salinity affected region of Bangladesh, where the lives of hundreds of small farmers are to stake due to forcible saline water intrusion for large-scale shrimp farming. The major activities under this programme are study tour, training programme, field visit, upgradation of syllabus, workshops and some publications.