INNOVATE

Informal settlements, economic and environmental change, and public health - Strategies to improve the quality of life in Dhaka

DHAKA-INNOVATE is centred around the informal settlements of Dhaka and focuses on 3 interwoven topics of vital relevance for the future development of the Mega-City of Dhaka, Bangladesh: Firstly, socioeconomic development, limitations, and improvement strategies; secondly, climatologic and air pollution effects from local to global scale; thirdly, public health issues related to socioeconomics, climate and air pollution. The research is undertaken in a spatially explicit way, linked in with remote sensing derived meta-indicators, and integrated via GIS-based modelling approaches.

The research is taking into account the globalised framework of relevant processes, both socioeconomically and environmentally. Local effects will hence be embedded in a multiscale framework, focussing to derive relevant indicators in the context of global, regional and local driving forces. Results will on the one hand facilitate an integrated modelling allowing for future perspectives in the light of relevant processes in the context of Dhaka. On the other hand, indicator based and spatially explicit explanation pathways open up the opportunity to transfer results to other Mega-Cities.

Research Team

Dpt. of Climatology (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

Prof. Dr. Wilfried Endlicher
Phd. cand. Katrin Burkart

Dpt. of Economic Geography (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

Prof. Dr. Elmar Kulke
Phd. cand. Ronny Staffeld

Dpt. of Public Health Medicine (Universität Bielefeld)

Prof. Dr. Alexander Krämer
Dr. MMH Khan

Geomatics Lab (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

Prof. Dr. Patrick Hostert
Phd. cand. Oliver Gruebner

Local Partner
Department of Geography and Environment (Dhaka University)

Dr. Ashraf Dewan

Publications

Brinkel, J., Khan , M., Krämer, A. (2009): A Systematic Review of Arsenic Exposure and Its Social and Mental Health Effects with Special Reference to Bangladesh. In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 6, 2009, pp. 1609-1619. [online access]
Burkart, K., Endlicher, W., Nehls, I., Win, T. (2007): Polyzyklisch Aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe (PAK) an atmosphärischen Partikeln. In: Tagungsband der Jahrestagung 2007 der Fachgruppe Umwelt und Ökotoxikologie. Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker..
Burkart, K., Endlicher, W. (2009): Assessing the Atmospheric Impact on Public Health in the Megacity of Dhaka, Bangladesh. In: Die Erde 2009, 140, 1, pp. 93-109. [online access]
Burkart, K., Grübner, O., Khan, M., Staffeld, R. (2008): Megacity Dhaka - Informal Settlements, Urban Environment and Public Health. In: Geographische Rundschau, International Edition 4, 1, pp. 4-11. [online access]
Endlicher, W., Jendritzky, G., Fischer, J., Redlich, J. (2006): Heat Waves, Urban Climate and Human Health. In: Wang, W., Krafft, T., Kraas, F. (Eds.): Global Change, Urbanization and Health. Beijing, China Meteorological Press , pp. 103-114.
Griffiths, P., Hostert, P., Gruebner, O., van der Linden, S. (2010): Mapping megacity growth with multi-sensor data. In: Remote Sensing of Environment 114, 2010, pp. 426–439. [online access]
Hostert, P., Grübner, O. (2010): Geographic Information Systems . In: Modern Infectious Disease Epidemiology. Concepts, Methods, Mathematical Models, and Public Health. New York, pp. 177-191. [online access]
Kabir, H., Endlicher, W., Jägermeyr, J. (2009): Calculation of bright roof-tops for solar PV applications in Dhaka Megacity, Bangladesh. In: Renewable Energy 35, 8, pp. 1760-1764. [online access]
Khan, M., Krämer, A. (2008): Socio-economic factors explain differences in public health-related variables among women in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study. In: BMC Public Health 2008, 8, pp. 254. [online access]
Khan, M., Krämer, A., Kabir, R., Kabir, M. (2008): Relationship between depression and spousal violence against women in the megacity of Dhaka: slum and non-slum comparisons. Presented at the 9th South East Asia Regional Scientific Meeting of the International Epidemiological Association (IEA), February 9-12, Dhaka, pp. 208-209.
Khan, M., Krämer, A., Grübner, O. (2009): Comparison of Health-Related Outcomes between Urban Slums, Urban Affluent and Rural Areas in and around Dhaka Megacity, Bangladesh. In: Die Erde 2009, 140, 1, pp. 69-92. [online access]
Khan, M., Aklimunnessa, K., Kabir, M., Mori, M. (2007): Determinants of drinking arsenic-contaminated tubewell water in Bangladesh . In: Health Policy and Planning 2007, 22, pp. 335-343. [online access]
Khan, M., Krämer, A. (2009): Factors associated with being underweight, overweight and obese among ever-married non-pregnant urban women in Bangladesh. In: Singapore Med J 50, 8, pp. 804-813. [online access]
Kulke, E., Staffeld, R. (2009): Informal Production Systems – the Role of the Informal Economy in the Plastic Recycling and Processing Industry in Dhaka. In: Die Erde 2009, 140, 1, pp. 25-46. [online access]
Kulke, E. (2007): The Commodity Chain Approach in Economic Geography. In: Die Erde 138 (2), 2007, pp. 117-126. [online access]
Mieg, H., Endlicher, W., Köhler, H. (2008): Four types of knowledge integration management in interdisciplinary research on cities and the environment. In: Cities and the environment 1, 1, pp. Article 6. [online access]