Stakeholders participation for urban climate resilience: A case of informal settlements regularization in Khulna City, Bangladesh

Abstract

This study focuses on stakeholders' participation, perceptions and local contextualization in the Informal Settlement (IS) regularization processes in Khulna City. These processes are undertaken to address livelihood challenges of IS dwellers and to operationalize development initiatives in informal regularization projects. Adopting both a qualitative and quantitative approach, the research results show that IS formation in Khulna City started slowly with rural immigration. These immigrants remain vulnerable to climate change although some initiatives were undertaken since the last 20 years to improve their living conditions. The IS dwellers and local leaders initially participated in these settlement-upgrading initiatives due to accompanied incentives but they became adamant after the project period ended. It was also found that the city local government and NGOs do not have any permanent arrangement to sustain the IS regularization processes. The analysis of the interrelationships among the stakeholders revealed that the relevant public agencies are in conflict, and the role of the private sector is less recognized. The initiatives undertaken so far have limited success especially in granting tenure security, and the private landowners or local authorities that trespassed public spaces resort to forceful eviction. Amidst all these, there is the need for the formulation and implementation of climate resilience policies that address stakeholder participations in mitigating climate change consequences and enhance livelihood development.