Using roofs in Dhaka temp can be reduced: Study

The combined area of the two city corporations of Dhaka is 270 square kilometers. Around 70 percent areas of the city covered by residential and commercial infrastructures.

Experts opined that these high-rise buildings are responsible for rising temperature in Dhaka city. If these buildings can be used properly then temperature can be reduced too. Doing roof top garden in these buildings, the temperature can be dropped at 7 degree Celsius.

Earlier, RAJUK took initiative to make reservation mandatory for roof gardens of multi-storied buildings in the capital. Dhaka South City Corporation announced 10 percent holding tax waiver if any building owners plant trees in roof. But, there is an allegation that building owners didn’t respond the matter.

According to the observance of the weather department, in the last 100 years, the country's temperature has risen by 6 degrees Celsius. Whereas, the temperature in the capital has risen by 2 degrees Celsius.

Micro-climate analysis, in December-February, the air temperature in the city averages 2 degrees Celsius higher than in the village areas.

The same research also said, the green land cover in Dhaka metropolitan area is only 2.41 percent of the total land area. This is very inadequate for the people of the capital.

Besides, the buildings in Dhaka are not environmental friendly. These buildings hold temperature. Later, the temp increase adjacent air. So, city dwellers feel additional heat.

Environmentalists said that the number of trees and water reservoirs have been reduced day by day. Nevertheless, these two matters are important to keep balance the environment.

A research of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) shows that The first heated terrain of Dhaka city was created in Motijheel area of Old Dhaka in 70s last century. Later, Shaympur, Postagola, Sayedabad, Farmgate and Karwan Bazar areas became heated gradually.