More green spaces can be the crucial means of minimizing the adverse impact of climate change together with promoting a healthy environment, securing urban food systems and affordability.
Transforming the Rajshahi city into a sustainable and resilient urban development is also important for ensuring equitable access to healthy and locally sourced food.
Time has come to envision a vibrant and thriving clean, healthy and green city where sustainable urban food systems flourish, nourishing both the residents and the environment.
Academics, scientists, researchers and development activists came up with the observations while taking part in group discussions in the daylong “2nd Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on Green City Initiative Pilot Project in Rajshahi” in Rajshahi on Thursday.
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP) at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly organized the workshop at Hotel X bringing together stakeholders from different sectors and backgrounds.
In the plenary sessions, the participants exchanged ideas, sharing experiences and identifying ways to make Rajshahi a greenery and more sustainable city.
As a whole, the event provided a platform that discussed the proposed plan for the Green City Initiative, its challenges and opportunities and the actions and recommendations needed to support its implementation.
Team Leader Dr Mostafizur Rahman gave an illustration on the issue through his presentation on the Draft Green City Charter Vision and Pilot Interventions, while FAO National Programme Consultant Dr Farazi Binti Ferdous delivered the introductory speech.
Dr Mostafiz said the green city charter serves a collective vision and guiding framework for achieving the transformative endeavor.
As a whole, the project is intended to envision a vibrant and thriving clean, healthy and green city where sustainable urban food systems flourish and nourishing both the residents and the environment.
It will also create a model urban environment besides fostering equitable access to healthy and locally produced food, minimizing ecological impact and promoting community resilience.
Deputy Team Leader Dr Ilme Faridatul, FAO Senior Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Specialist Imtiaz Ahmed and Dr Abdul Wakil also spoke on the occasion.
Various other issues, particularly rooftop and homestead gardening, landscaping with multipurpose tree plantation, vertical farming and encouraging waste management and setting up compositing facilities at the households and communities for the utilization in urban farming, were discussed elaborately.