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Urbanization and green space dynamics in Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh

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Abstract

Green space is particularly indispensable for proper functioning of the ecosystem in an urban environment. This study was an attempt to dynamically map and monitor green spaces in Greater Dhaka of Bangladesh. Both primary and secondary data were acquired to document the spatial–temporal dynamics of green spaces in the study area. Using a supervised classification algorithm, multi-temporal land use/cover data were extracted from a set of satellite images. A number of spatial metrics were employed to understand the landscape condition in a multi-temporal manner. In addition, 50 key informants along with focus group discussion and observation techniques were used to document existing management aspects of green spaces and their conservation policies. The analysis revealed that green spaces in Greater Dhaka are rapidly disappearing over the course of time even though they provide a number of natural, economic and social benefits. The disappearance of green spaces was primarily attributed to a rapid increase in the urban population, mainly driven by rural–urban migration. As a result, the landscape became highly fragmented and less connected. A substantial reduction of green patches is also leading to deterioration of the ecological condition of the landscape. The drastic reduction of green spaces in Greater Dhaka has been attributed to a lack of policy, low political motivation, and poor management. In order to ensure sustainability of green spaces and proper functioning of the city’s ecosystem, there is an urgent need for strategic green space planning.

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Acknowledgments

We greatly acknowledge the support in the form of a research grant from the International Foundation for Science (IFS), Sweden, in which the third author leads a project as PI (Project Ref: W4656-1). We are grateful to the GELs programme of IDEC, Hiroshima University, for inviting us to their summer seminar (5–21 August 2009), which encouraged us to develop this paper. Our special thanks go out to the Government of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre for allowing us to use their logistics support. We are also grateful to Prof. Jhonamie Mabuhay for her constructive suggestions and English corrections. This research was one of the Asian City Projects of Hiroshima University. This research was partially funded by the Twenty-First Century Center of Excellence (COE) Program for Social Capacity Development for Environmental Management and International Cooperation at the Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, Japan. Finally, constructive suggestions from three anonymous referees are gratefully acknowledged, as they helped us to substantially improve this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC), Savar, Dhaka, 1343, Bangladesh

    Talukder Byomkesh

  2. Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan

    Nobukazu Nakagoshi

  3. Department of Spatial Sciences, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia

    Ashraf M. Dewan

  4. Department of Geography and Environment, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Ashraf M. Dewan

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  1. Talukder Byomkesh
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  2. Nobukazu Nakagoshi
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  3. Ashraf M. Dewan
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Correspondence to Nobukazu Nakagoshi.

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Byomkesh, T., Nakagoshi, N. & Dewan, A.M. Urbanization and green space dynamics in Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh. Landscape Ecol Eng 8, 45–58 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-010-0147-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-010-0147-7

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