A comprehensive 10-year roadmap has been presented to mitigate landslide risks and ensure environment-friendly, scientific hill management in the Chattogram and Bandarban districts.
The policy paper, titled ‘Risk-Sensitive Land Use Plan’ (RSLUP), was launched on Thursday during a programme held at Hotel Agrabad in the port city. The initiative was led by Save the Children and funded by European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).
Presenting the keynote paper, Professor Md Akter Mahmud of Jahangirnagar University identified uncontrolled hill cutting, unplanned urbanisation, and deforestation as the primary drivers of landslides. To address these issues, he proposed hazard-based zoning, mandatory geo-technical assessments, and ecosystem-based slope stabilisation.
The roadmap also emphasises the urgent need for an early warning system based on specific rainfall thresholds to prevent loss of life during the monsoon season.
Speaking as the chief guest, Mohammad Ashraful Amin, Chief Executive Officer of Chattogram City Corporation, warned that Chattogram city remains at extreme risk of landslides in the upcoming monsoon. He noted that the RSLUP would serve as an effective guideline for managing settlements in hilly areas.
During the panel discussion, Professor Iqbal Sarowar of Chattogram University highlighted how the depletion of natural forests has reduced the soil’s water-retention capacity. ATM Shahjahan, Associate Professor at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), pointed to weak engineering methods and illegal brick kilns as significant risk factors.
Furthermore, Shahinul Islam, an expert from the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA), identified a lack of coordination between various agencies as a major challenge in implementing such plans.
The 10-year action plan proposes short-term measures, including the formation of a special task force to halt illegal hill cutting and the creation of high-resolution digital hazard maps. Long-term recommendations include the rehabilitation of risky hill settlements and the expansion of this management model to other hilly districts across the country.
The event was organised with technical support from YPSA, Ashika, and RIMES. Speakers concluded by calling for public safety and environmental restoration to be treated as the highest priorities in hill conservation efforts.
