The earthquakes of 2004 and 2005 did not only destroy housing structures in Nias Island, Indonesia. It devastated traditional villages which displayed the architectural heritage of the island.

In 2004, Bangladesh suffered one of the most devastating floods in its history. Considered the country’s worst-ever in terms of geographic extent and economic damage, the floods affected 39 districts, including Dhaka. Economic disruption and serious damages to infrastructure and other assets inflicted heavy losses on agricultural and industrial output and slowed down growth in services. The combined losses to assets and output climbed to at least $2.3 billion. Almost 36 million people were affected and the death toll reached nearly 800.

While Asia continues to show remarkable development and poverty reduction and expands its role significantly in the global economy, water security becomes a growing concern. Increasing water security will require mobilization of new levels of cooperation among all economic sectors and sections of society.

With the aim to promote an integrated approach towards inclusive urban development growth, this presentation discusses cross-sectoral prioritization, project programming, and policy and planning process flowchart. Alongside sector assessments and options, it presents a framework for understanding urban context.