During the First Session of the Event Organized by Bangladesh Urban Forum (BUF) in Dhaka, Bangladesh
December 5-7, 2011
Bangladesh Urban Forum (BUF) is an initiative of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) with support from leading stakeholders of the urban sector in a bid to designing a broad base action plan, and to develop consensus on array of issues related to rapid urbanization in the country. The first ever session of the Bangladesh Urban Forum (BUF) ended on December 7, 2011, with the call for Inclusive Urbanization aimed at sustainable growth and equity for all urban dwellers.
The forum also called for prosperous but equitable, greener and fully sustainable future for urban Bangladesh, where the rights of all Bangladeshis are recognized. The declaration issued jointly by a forum of over 70 government, national/local and international organizations, NGOs and citizens groups resolved that there is a need for more proactive national strategic management of urbanization in Bangladesh, which accentuates the gains and limits of the weaknesses of the process. The forum jointly endorsed 21 thematic areas of the Urban Sector Policy which include: Patterns and processes of urbanization; Local urban planning; Local economic development and employment; Urban local finance and resource mobilization; Urban land management and Urban housing as the major components of the declaration.
One of the key events of the first session of the BUF was Urban Exhibition on Best Practices & Innovations to make cities and towns work for all. A total 12 (twelve) urban subsectors were selected which presents best practices and innovations that make cities and towns work for all. 3 (three) ‘Best Urban Practices’ were awarded at the closing session and Waste Concern was honored as one of the best practices for its contribution in waste sector of Bangladesh.