Diagnostics for Urban Poverty and the Social Security Needs of the Urban Poor in Bangladesh

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The research was conducted by RAPID in collaboration with UNDP and the Planning Commission, Government of Bangladesh.

Summary

Despite the extra-ordinary achievements in terms of the income growth, human development and vulnerability reduction, poverty, especially in urban areas, has remained a major challenge for Bangladesh. Urban poverty, with its distinct features, remains an obstacle for the overall human development of the country. With the growing number of the urban population, the existing policies and programmes targeted to bring down the number of urban poor have been proved to be ineffective. Hence, formulation and implementation of effective policies and programmes are prerequisites to fight the challenges that urban poverty pose. Urban poverty, being distinct from rural poverty in many ways, thus require customised social protection programmes (SPPs) contextualised with the local needs. Reviewing a number of well-acclaimed SPPs from few countries, several key lessons can be utilised in the context of Bangladesh.

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