Urban Environmental Governance: Bangladesh as a Case in Point
Given the rapid urbanisation trends and the strategic and economic significance of cities in Asia, sustainably managing urban environments needs to be an urgent priority. Taking Bangladesh as a case in point, the authors have sought to validate their core premise that effective urban environmental governance at all levels is crucial for building sustainable and climate resilient cities. Bangladesh prides itself with exemplar macro level environmental policy and governance instruments, but these have failed to translate into practice, due to weak policy enforcement and implementation on account of a number of systemic barriers and constraints. This paper maps the role and dimensions of urban environmental governance and the systemic barriers, opportunities and pathways for strengthening this at all levels in the Bangladesh context.