DHAKA, Dec 12, 2024 (BSS) – Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) today sought stakeholders’ collaboration for urban environment management saying the issue was too vast to be handled by any single agency or organisation.

“The challenges in urban environmental environment management are too vast for any sector or organization to solve alone,” LGED chief engineer Gopal Krishna Debnath told a national dialogue on the issue staged by Livable and Inclusive Cities for All (LICA) project.

He said sustainable development could only be achieved through effective collaboration, uniting government agencies, the private sector civil society and local communities.

A LICA statement said this was the first such national dialogue where they brought together key stakeholders from the government, academia, development partners, youth groups and civil society.

The LGED chief said the government agency was commitment to foster healthier and climate-resilient cities and noted that the National Guidelines would serve as a dynamic and evolving framework to address the “ever-changing needs of urban environmental management”.

The LICA project is being jointly implemented by LGED under the local government ministry and German Agency for International Cooperation in Bangladesh or GIZ Bangladesh.

A representative of Hamburg-based GFA Consulting Group, which implements complex studies and projects in different countries, Anisur Rahman presented the keynote speech adoption of national guidelines on urban environmental management could improve living standards for citizens.

The dialogue organisers said they expected the national discussion to shape future policies and initiatives, promoting more sustainable and inclusive urban environments in Bangladesh.

The event featured two thematic sessions: “Integrated Management of Urban Environment – Organizational Experiences” and “Waste, Water Bodies & Open Spaces – City Initiatives”.

The sessions showcased city-level innovative initiatives through case studies and actionable insights, offering a comprehensive perspective on urban environmental management.

Representatives from Rajshahi and Narayanganj city corporations, Kushtia Municipality, BRAC, Water Aid, ICLEI, SNV, IUCN, and BUET underscored the importance of collaborative efforts to enhance urban livability and sustainability.

Environment ministry joint secretary Lubna Yasmine; GIZ’s cluster coordinator for climate change and sustainable urban development Dr Dana de la Fontaine, and Head of Project LICA, GIZ Bangladesh M Mahmudur Rahman also spoke.

The LICA project was implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which was launched in November 2022.