Vulnerabilities and responses to climate change for Dhaka

The relationship between climate change and cities is complex. City-based activities contribute significant amounts of greenhouse gases and, simultaneously, are often more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Dhaka is now the world's eighth largest city and a significant proportion of Bangladesh's greenhouse gases are generated there although, relative to total emissions worldwide, the contribution is negligible. But this contribution is likely to increase rapidly with the continuing growth of the city's population, economy and electricity consumption, as well as increased motor vehicle use. At the same time, Dhaka is prone to damaging and costly flooding, both from the rivers that bound it and from rainfall that generates runoff that is beyond the capacity of the drains. In less…