Dhaka Without Nature? Rethinking Natural Rights Led Urban Sustainability

Once celebrated for its natural charm, Dhaka now stands at a critical juncture overwhelmed by relentless urban sprawl and ecological decay. This study traces the city's transformation from 1980 to 2024 through satellite imagery, land use analysis, and Land Surface Temperature (LST) trends, uncovering a dramatic decline in nature’s presence.

Over this period, Dhaka lost nearly half of its tree cover, 60% of its waterbodies, and 56% of grass and agricultural land, while built-up areas ballooned sevenfold. The environmental toll is not evenly shared Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), with its denser population and weaker green infrastructure, endures harsher heat stress and diminished ecological access compared to Dhaka North (DNCC). Framed within the lens of Natural Rights, this research argues that Dhaka’s development trajectory has systematically violated nature’s right to exist, regenerate, and support life. It calls for urgent, rights-based reforms to reverse ecological injustice and enable a sustainable urban future.

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