Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW Vol. 5 Num 584 Thu. January 19, 2006       Letters to Editor Filling of wetlands Elizabeth Dean Hermann Professor of Landscape Architecture Rhode Island School of Design We are greatly disheartened by what we have been reading in the pages of The Daily Star over the past few months concerning the government's apparent inability or unwillingness to protect Dhaka's remaining wetlands and khals from the continuing thoughtless and often illegal filling. Considering both Dhaka's own record of worsening urban flooding over the years due to poor water, sewer and open space management, and the evidence gained from New Orleans this past fall, it amazes me that the planning for Dhaka's future can be so short-sighted. It is widely acknowledged by scientists and engineers around the world that cities built on deltas need to provide large areas for short and long term storage of surface waters during flood season, as well as corridors for surface flow through the urban areas. Why, in light of all the data collection, flood modelling and the threat of worse floods in the future from the effects of global warming, cities like Dhaka and New Orleans continue to destroy the ecological infrastructure that is so necessary for sustaining major urban settlements in some of the world's most unstable landscapes is incomprehensible. Everyone who shares in the decision-making, use of, and ownership of such lands has a moral responsibility to the present and future population of Dhaka to consider the impact of their actions, to educate themselves about the hydrological reality of their setting and the critical role the city's wetlands play in this delicate cultural-ecological balance, and to do everything possible to protect these areas to ensure a sustainable future and quality of life for Dhaka and its residents.