9th Urban Dialogue calls for building sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient cities

Urban experts, government officials, development partners and civil society representatives on Wednesday urged stronger implementation of existing policies to address the growing challenges of rapid urbanisation, climate vulnerability and inequality in the cities.
The call came at the 9th Urban Dialogue 2026, held at a city hotel under the theme Policies to Action: Transforming Cities for People, focusing on translating urban policies into practical actions that ensure inclusive, equitable, and sustainable urban development.
The event was organised by the Urban INGO Forum, a platform of 20 international non-governmental organisations. The event brought together policymakers, urban planners, development practitioners and representatives from international organisations.
The programme began with a child exploitation and protection performance by children from urban communities, followed by a welcome address from Muhammad Mahfuzur Rahaman, National Director of Habitat for Humanity International Bangladesh, focusing on inclusive, resilient and safe urban life by addressing existing disparities.
Among the discussants were Md Saidur Rahman Khan, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Dr Md Shafiqul Islam, Health Adviser at the British High Commission in Dhaka, Kabita Bose, Country Director of Plan International Bangladesh and Chandan Z Gomes, Senior Director of Operations at World Vision Bangladesh.
Dr Adil Muhammad Khan, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar University and Executive Director of the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD) presented a keynote paper on “Policies to Action :Transforming Cities for People”.
The Dialogue concluded with a 16-point Declaration demanding the immediate operationalisation of the National Urban Policy 2025, the Spatial Planning Act 2026 and the National Adaptation Plan (2023–2050) to safeguard the country’s rapidly urbanizing population from climate, housing and livelihood shocks.
Addressing the opening session as the chief guest, Md Saidur Rahman Khan underscored the need to integrate disaster risk reduction with development planning, saying sustainable national development would not be possible without such an approach.
“There are many good policies, but implementation is lacking. The government will work to create greater awareness and ensure effective implementation,” he said.
He revealed that the government has launched an initiative to develop a force of nearly 100,000 urban disaster volunteers, of whom around 50,000 have already been enlisted.
“We are strengthening coordinated preparedness among the Fire Service, Meteorological Department and other relevant agencies. Designated assembly points, rescue equipment and public awareness programmes are being put in place to enhance earthquake readiness,” he said.
Saidur Rahman Khan also stressed the importance of building long-term urban resilience through education and community engagement.
“Disaster awareness must be integrated into our education system, local capacities need to be strengthened, and our cities must become safer and more climate-resilient through canal restoration, tree plantation and adaptive urban planning,” he added.
Referring to the broader urban development agenda, he said the government was prioritising improvements in urban services, including healthcare, to ensure equitable access for poor and vulnerable residents.
He further announced plans to establish a National Emergency Operational Centre and introduce an Incident Command System (ICS) to strengthen coordination among ministries and agencies and ensure more effective emergency response and public service delivery.
In the keynote presentation, Adil Muhammad Khan highlighted that Bangladesh is experiencing one of South Asia’s fastest urbanisation processes, contributing significantly to economic growth while simultaneously creating mounting challenges for urban governance.
“Urban areas are home to more than 35% of the population and contribute over 60% of the country’s GDP”, he said.
He noted that persistent infrastructure gaps, inadequate urban services and widening socio-economic inequalities remain major obstacles to achieving sustainable urban development as the country prepares for graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category.
The dialogue noted that millions of urban residents, particularly climate migrants and low-income workers in major cities including Dhaka, Chattogram, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Khulna, continue to live in overcrowded informal settlements with limited access to affordable housing, safe water, sanitation, healthcare and social protection services.
Speaking at the dialogue, Dr Md Shafiqul Islam said that while Bangladesh has no shortage of plans and policies, implementation remains weak.
He stressed the need for a people-centred approach to address growing urban challenges and ensure that development initiatives respond to the needs of urban residents.
“We have global experiences and examples of effective urban management, but we often fail to implement them due to a lack of pragmatic approaches,” he said.
Participants concluded that effective implementation of existing policies, combined with accountable governance and climate-smart planning, will be essential to transforming country’s rapidly growing cities into sustainable, equitable and resilient urban centres for all residents.
Three parallel thematic sessions were also held to examine key urban development challenges and policy priorities.
The first session, titled “Translating Urban Policy into Affordable Housing and Equitable Urban Services,” focused on housing conditions in informal settlements, health, nutrition and WASH services, social safety nets, public transportation and access to open spaces.
The second session, “Urban Livelihoods and Protection,” discussed urban employment and skills development, integration of the informal sector into formal regulatory frameworks, private-sector engagement in urban development and green business, youth employment generation, caregiving services, the elimination of child labour and hazardous work, gender inclusion and the promotion of decent work for all.
The third session, “Building Resilient Cities with Nature: Policy Actions for a Sustainable Urban Future,” concentrated on climate adaptation, sustainability and resilience-building measures. Discussions covered Nature-based Solutions (NbS), green and blue infrastructure, urban heat mitigation, drainage and waterlogging management, waste-to-resource systems, renewable energy and efficient urban systems aligned with a just energy transition.