Dhaka’s first ‘urban forest’ to protect environment

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is planning to create first ‘urban forest’ in the city in order to protect the environment, prevent air pollution and control the high temperature in the capital. Two places have already been fixed for the urban afforestation as per advice of Bushra Afrin, Chief Heat Officer of Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, a US-based research institute assigned to DNCC. The work will be officially started after getting financial assistance.    

It is learnt that, afforestation will be done at Banani and Kalyanpur in the capital initially. DNCC’s has own land at Kalyanpur and it sought the land of the Roads and Highways Department at Banani. The highways department gave approval to use the land on eighteen conditions. Chief Heat Officer Bushra Afrin has sought Bangladesh Bank’s help to ensure the financial assistance in the first planned urban afforestation of the capital. 

Source said the main objective of this urban afforestation project is to develop a spiritual bond between nature and children. Local species of trees will be planted there so that it can easily adapt to the local environment. However, selection of the right species of plants is very important for creating this forest.

DNCC’s Environment, Climate and Disaster Management Circle Executive Engineer Nuruzzaman Khan told Jago News that an urban afforestation helps to cool down the city environment, keep the water flow normal and increase biodiversity. Besides, importance is given to local species of trees in the first phase of creating urban afforestation. A small forest usually has 20 to 40 species of trees and shrubs.

In this connection, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam told Jago News that Bushra Afrin has been advising the DNCC in controlling temperature in the city since being appointed as a Chief Heat Officer. The efforts are underway to create urban forest in Banani and Kalyanpur as part of her plan. The afforestation work will be officially started if we get a sponsor.

DNCC’s engineering department source said DNCC has a 53 acre reservoir at Kalyanpur. A gang had illegally occupied this place for ages and built structures. Occupants were evicted one year ago by conducting mobile courts. Now, DNCC wants to build a Hydro Eco Park there. Chief Heat Officer Bushra Afrin has proposed to create an urban forest at one side of the land.

On the other hand, Bushra Afrin advised DNCC to create a urban forest on the unused land owned by Roads and Highways Department on the east side of Airport Road from Kamal Ataturk Avenue to Banani Road No. 27. Later, on December 27 last year, DNCC sought permission from the highways department to temporarily use the unused land. On April 18 of this year, a permission was given in this regard in a letter undersigned by Senior Assistant Secretary of Property Branch of the highways department Md Gulam Jilani.

When asked, Chief Heat Officer Bushra Afrin told Jago News that we want to create urban afforestation as a pilot project in Dhaka’s Kalyanpur and Banani. DNCC will implement this afforestation. However, the project is still in the planning stage. The work will officially start after getting a sponsor.

DNCC’s Environment, Climate and Disaster Management Circle Executive Engineer Nuruzzaman Khan said the initiative of urban afforestation at Banani has been taken on the advice of Chief Hit Officer Bushra Afrin. Now, if we get a sponsor in the afforestation, the design will be made and a memorandum of understanding will be inked.