Where did the Delta originate from?
Mapping Dhaka’s Water Systems
A comprehensive waterbody mapping project tracing the impact of urbanization on the once-vital drainage systems in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka.
Contextual Background
Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka encompasses a multitude of ever-changing water bodies throughout its landmass. Although these water bodies were once respected, but, eventually, rapid urbanization has impacted them negatively. As a result, the city’s once natural drainage system has been lost in the name of ‘urban development’, causing vital parts of Dhaka’s hydrological balance to collapse.
This project explores the story of Dhaka’s changing water systems, providing a detailed examination of how urbanization has impacted the city’s ecological balance. Additionally, this visualization aims to provide valuable insights and strives to increase environmental awareness and advocate for sustainable practices towards a resilient future.
Project Overview:
Timeline: July 2022 – August 2022
Professional Work: Waterbody Mapping
Supervisor: Architect Razib Hassan Chowdhury
Type of Project: Research and Analysis
Location: Dhaka
Land Area: 75711.66 acres / 3.298 billion sqft
Software Used: Rhino 7, AutoCad, ArcGIS, Google Earth, Illustrator
*All data used has been collected by me from various sources.
Project Objective
Through these outcomes, the project aimed to create an installation or an interactive map enabling users to explore Dhaka’s historical water systems. By raising awareness, the goal was for individuals to gain insights into the city’s hydrological evolution and its potential future paths. The objective was to foster a deeper understanding of the importance of preserving water resources and to encourage proactive engagement in safeguarding Dhaka’s water systems.
This project was conducted to understand the changes in the water systems throughout the years. Thus, this initiative aimed to map out the major water systems around urban Dhaka.The old water systems were superimposed on a recent map of Dhaka to comprehend the changes and to make suggestions regarding how to revive them.
