Third landscapes for flood-resilience: Rethinking scales of green infrastructure in neighborhoods in Khulna, Bangladesh

The purpose of this landscape architecture thesis is to highlight the necessity and value of nature-based design adaptations to urban flooding in response to ongoing urban development and the impacts of climate change in Khulna, Bangladesh. Located in the southwest part of Bangladesh, Khulna City is threatened by the dual effects of rising sea levels and waterlogging during heavy rainfall. Additionally, an inadequate and not well-functioned drainage system, poor waste management, and lack of integrated planning for making the city flood-resilient have increased the impacts and suffering due to flooding (Rahman, M. Mujibor, et al., 2009; Feasibility Study in Khulna Including Climate Risk Assessment and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, 2021). Numerous studies conducted by local experts and international consultants over the past decade for redeveloping existing flood mitigation infrastructures and drainage networks across Khulna City have raised the concern of planners, policymakers, and developers. This thesis research highlights the urgent need for new understanding of flooding at the local level including flooding conditions that vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. Additionally, the research reveals that recent developments of traditional drainage systems across the city have exacerbated the flooding conditions. Thus, this study recommends investigating flooding conditions at local scales, exploring the feasibility of green infrastructures for site-specific flooding conditions, collaborating with landscape architects and ecological experts, and engaging residents from the very beginning of the process. Methods for exploring urban flooding in Khulna include fieldwork consisting of observations of existing flooding conditions as well as interviews with regional experts and residents, which helped this study understand the impacts of flood-control infrastructures in different neighborhoods. Furthermore, recent studies by the Khulna City Corporation (KCC), academic articles, news media, and precedent case studies helped to understand the shortfalls of flood mitigation infrastructures and the importance of nature-based solutions to adapt to urban flooding in environmentally sustainable ways. Finally, this study identifies and discusses the role of the “third landscape” in the flooding context of the city and suggests further research and application strategies. My thesis also investigates the role of landscape architects in the Khulna context where landscape architecture is not established as a profession yet to envision Khulna as a flood-resilient city.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.L.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Landscape Architecture

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Tumpa, Jarin Subah

Contributors dc:contributor

• McGuire, Mary P
• Sears, Stephen
• Bartumeus Ferre, Sara

• Flood-Resilience, Third Landscape, Green Infrastructure, Urban Flooding

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright, 2024, Jarin Subah Tumpa

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129477

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/129477