Application of Water Sensitive Urban Design Technique in Bangladesh

This study explores the adaptation of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) as a sustainable design approach into the urban setting of Ashulia within the Dhaka district of Bangladesh which is facing several environmental challenges such as flooding, water logging and pollution of water bodies due to unmanaged and unsustainable urbanization. WSUD offers a holistic approach to management of stormwater runoff quality and quantity with the aim of mimicking the natural hydrological cycle as of pre-development phase using various design elements such as Gross Pollutant Traps (GPT), swales, bioretention basin, constructed wetlands, sedimentation basins, infiltration trenches and rainwater harvesting. Methodology consists of development of Intensity Frequency Duration (IFD) curve, soil data collection and pre-liminary design of infiltration trench system in a medium scale catchment within the study area. Initial findings suggest that incorporation of WSUD elements measures such as infiltration trenches can be instrumental in attenuation of peak discharge. However, low infiltration soil capacity of the study area suggests the requirement of other WSUD elements to be constructed upstream of the trenches signifying the complexity of adoption of infiltration trenches solely in the local condition. Future work will involve more research to ger more detailed information of the local conditions and suitability of more conducive WSUD measures that can provide more fruitful results to alleviate growing stormwater management issues in Ashulia, Bangladesh.