DHAKA: German Ambassador Dr Thomas Prinz said a sophisticated and long-term urban planning that relies on reliable data is essential to manage the inflow of people into metropolis of Bangladesh.

Envoy Prinz said this visited during visit to the Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) in Dhaka on Thursday.

During his visit at the Geological Survey of Bangladesh, Prinz toured the premises of the organization, was introduced to the history, mandate and facilities of the organization and met with senior management of GSB.

“Urbanization is one of the megatrends of this century. More and more people are moving to cities searching for job opportunities or adjusting to the impacts of climate change in rural Bangladesh. Dhaka is one of the fastest growing cities in the world,” Ambassador Prinz said during his visits of the GSB facilities. 

The institution conducts systematic geological mapping and geoscientific activities throughout the country.

The organization is supported by German development Cooperation (GDC) funds that are provided by BGR, the German Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources.

By conducting a joint project, the two institutions cooperate on gathering, increasing and improving the available geological data that is necessary for urban planning in Bangladesh.

Furthermore, he visited geotechnical drillings in Aftabnagar.

“Therefore, I am particularly happy that the Geological Survey of Bangladesh is partnering up with experts from Germany in this promising project, the German envoy further said.

The joint German-Bangladeshi project “Geo-Information for Urban Planning” has been kicked off in 2013 and will be finalized in 2016.

Strengthening the resilience of local government bodies and fostering its capabilities to cope with a changing environment due to climate change will remain a priority for German Development Cooperation.

BDST: 1520 HRS, JULY 09, 2015
RS