Evaluation of Eco-sustainability standards of purbachal by ecological footprint analysis

Abstract

To provide a city with ample green, public transit, adequate services and infrastructures and to accommodate the increasing population in an affordable manner, Purbachal New Township (PNT) is designed and planned in the fringe area of Dhaka city. PNT is claimed to have been planned to be eco-sustainable and affordable (objectives 2 & 3 of PNT project is directly relevant to this claim). This study aims to evaluate PNT project in order to identify and analyze the eco-sustainability status of PNT. Based on the literature review on worldwide eco-cities this study sets a set of checklists to assess the eco-sustainability status of PNT which are: ecological, physical, socio-cultural, technological and the bio diversity. Data from various sources are analyzed and ArcGIS Desktop 10.1 was used to analyze the context of Purbachal area. Policy and other measures are also evaluated with above checklist coupled with national standards like PRLDR, 2004 and DAP 2010 to identify the mismatch. In the case of community facilities there is a huge scarcity of land. Low carbon emission schemes, provisions for 3R, renewable energy and blue green infrastructures were among the checklist for evaluation in Purbachal New Township. PNT did not follow the eco-sustainable codes nor the socio-economic codes of the land. The analysis shows that PNT is not an eco-sustainable and affordable as claimed. This study observes that Land development of Purbachal area causes loss of soil ecosystem interrupting the food chain of different insects, crops, birds, lizards and other. The provision for protecting the prevailing ecosystem in the PNT plan is observed to have been grossly neglected in the present scenario The destruction of wetlands, trees, greeneries, vegetation in and around the township may endanger its terrestrial ecology, however the creation of the forest lands and water bodies, if done appropriately, may act as an opportunity to enrich bio diversity of PNT. There is an imbalance in the land use with excessive provision of commercial land. It is recommended that based on property ownership and the economic status of local people (who are to leave their area), should receive affordable housing or plots on priority basis to ensure inclusiveness in PNT. There should be provision of low-cost housing or plots for low income groups as well. The plan of PNT could preserve the sensitive zones/areas and should take measures to protect them from any interventions that effects natural ecosystem. The forest and green area could be integrated with existing and planned water bodies (lake, river) to develop a functional blue-green network to ensure better urban environment and could enhance resilience. New tools and measures should be introduced systematically on periodic basis. The options for renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, waste recycling etc. could have been introduced and considered as an integral part of new developments subjected to periodic upgrading based on research.