Climate-resilient Narayanganj City

Narayanganj is one of Bangladesh’s oldest and busiest industrial hubs.

Rapid industrial expansion, unplanned growth and rising climate risks such as heatwaves, increasingly erratic rainfall, and waterlogging are putting severe pressure on basic urban services for the hundreds of thousands who call the city home. Access to safe water, waste management, drainage and sanitation is becoming more uncertain, particularly for low-income communities living in informal settlements where infrastructure is already fragile and highly exposed to climate impacts.

To respond to these growing challenges, Practical Action is implementing the People’s Adaptation Plans for Inclusive, Climate-Resilient Urban Service Delivery in Narayanganj City Corporation project with support from the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), in collaboration with Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC), funded by Global Affairs Canada. Through this work, we aim to ensure that the priorities and lived experiences of vulnerable communities guide NCC’s upcoming green masterplan, with a focus on climate-resilient urban services such as waste management, sewerage, and urban development, placing people at the centre of planning.

A vital city under pressure

Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene remains critically lacking across Narayanganj, positioned by the Shitalakshya River and next to Dhaka, has long been central to Bangladesh’s economy and cultural heritage. Known as the Dundee of the East for its textile history, the city still depends heavily on industry and trade.

But the landscape that once fuelled its prosperity is now deeply stressed. Rivers are polluted and overtaken by the city’s expansion. Drainage and sanitation systems struggle to keep up with population growth and industrial waste. Climate change compounds these pressures: waterlogging, prolonged heatwaves and irregular rainfall are becoming more frequent, worsening safe water scarcity and living conditions.

Low-income neighbourhoods, many in vulnerable, waterlogged zones, face the worst impacts. Limited services, overcrowding and social inequalities reduce their ability to cope when extreme weather hits.

By integrating community-driven adaptation planning into city systems, Narayanganj has an opportunity to strengthen climate resilience, protect ecosystems and support more inclusive urban development so no one is left behind.

A resilient city shaped by its people

Practical Action is working with GCA and NCC to ensure that climate risks and community-level insights directly inform the city’s masterplans on solid waste, sewerage and urban development. The approach follows Locally Led Adaptation principles and uses tools such as Climate Resilience Measurement for Communities (CRMC) —developed by the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance (ZCRA), of which Practical Action is a founding member— to assess risks and prioritise resilience needs.

Low-income communities, community-based organisations, local authorities, civil society and academia all take part in the planning process. CRMC assessments help identify resilience capacities and feasible adaptation options. Processes such as Women’s Adaptation Labs are also used to create spaces for women from informal settlements to engage with engineers, planners and technical experts, shaping solutions that reflect daily realities and are cost-effective and sustainable.

Based on all this insight, we’ll shape People’s Adaptation Plans, which aim to:

• Bring the climate priorities of poor and vulnerable communities-especially women—into NCC’s official masterplans
• Guide investments in community-level, resilient infrastructure
• Support community stewardship and long-term maintenance
• Promote nature-based solutions that local communities can sustain over the long term
• Address long-term climate risks and adaptation priorities
• Create green job opportunities that strengthen livelihoods and economic resilience