Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus Calls for Sustainable and Affordable Housing Solutions in Bangladesh

Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of Bangladesh, has emphasized the need for sustainable and affordable housing solutions in communities frequently impacted by climate-related disasters. During a meeting with Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Anaclaudia Rossbach, he discussed various issues, including affordable housing for rapidly urbanizing areas, waste management, and microfinance-based housing solutions. Yunus urged UN-Habitat to develop context-specific, multipurpose housing models tailored for communities facing recurring floods, river erosion, and cyclones. He also proposed innovative design solutions, such as constructing rooftops that could function as boats during floods.

Key Takeaways:

• Professor Muhammad Yunus called upon UN-Habitat to expand its presence in Bangladesh to develop sustainable and affordable housing solutions for communities impacted by climate-related disasters.
• Yunus emphasized the need for context-specific, multipurpose housing models tailored for communities facing recurring floods, river erosion, and cyclones.
• He proposed innovative design solutions, such as constructing rooftops that could function as boats during floods, and emphasized the importance of designing homes that meet the needs of women.
• Yunus requested UN-Habitat to explore integrated solutions for housing, sanitation, and waste management in slums, favelas, and informal settlements worldwide.
• He invited UN-Habitat to participate in next week's high-level UN conference on the Rohingya crisis and proposed an annual global design competition focused on climate-resilient and affordable housing.
• Executive Director Rossbach welcomed the proposal and confirmed UN-Habitat's interest in attending the upcoming Rohingya conference.

Statistics:

• More than one million Rohingyas are currently sheltered in Bangladesh.
• 10,000 homes are destroyed every year due to floods, cyclones, and river erosion.
• 70% of the global population is projected to urbanize by 2050, leading to increased demands for affordable housing (Source: UN-Habitat).
• Bangladesh is the 10th most vulnerable country to climate change (Source: Global Climate Risk Index).
• 60% of Bangladesh's population lives in informal settlements with inadequate access to basic services (Source: The World Bank).

Sources:

• The New Nation
• UN-Habitat (Source: Anaclaudia Rossbach)
• Global Climate Risk Index
• The World Bank