Assignment Name: Designing Cities That Support Healthy Child Development (Urban95 Challenge) Project

Country: Bangladesh

Client Name: Bernard Van Leer Foundation (BVLF)

The “Designing Cities that Support Healthy Child Development (Urban95 Challenge)” project was an innovative initiative funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) to address the impact of urban environmental challenges on early childhood development in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Focused on noise pollution, the project recognized that excessive urban noise is a silent threat to the mental and physical well-being of children, particularly during critical developmental stages.

The project aimed to reduce noise pollution levels in Dhaka city, ensuring a safer and more conducive environment for children’s healthy growth. By raising awareness, influencing policy, and fostering community engagement, the initiative sought to improve urban living conditions for young children and their caregivers.

Key objectives included:

• Designing a participatory awareness campaign strategy to engage the public and promote noise pollution mitigation.
• Initiating dialogue with duty bearers and stakeholders to emphasize the urgency of addressing noise pollution.
• Influencing policy formulation and urban planning to incorporate noise control measures.

The project adopted a multi-pronged approach, including public reviews, expert consultations, participatory dialogues, and the dissemination of behavior change communication (BCC) materials. These activities laid the foundation for a long-term advocacy and policy development agenda targeting healthier urban environments for children.

The following activities were conducted by the DM WATCH team:

Project Inception and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Conducted inception meetings with BvLF and local stakeholders to align project goals, deliverables, and timelines.
• Prepared a detailed project plan outlining phases, activities, and roles.

Public Review and Situation Analysis:

• Conducted a comprehensive review to gauge public perceptions and awareness regarding noise pollution’s impact on child development.
• Measured noise levels across multiple locations in Dhaka to identify critical hotspots exceeding recommended decibel limits.
• Analyzed data to identify sources and trends in noise pollution, forming the basis for targeted interventions.

Expert Feedback and BCC Material Development:

• Organized consultations with environmental and child health experts to assess the physical and psychological impacts of noise pollution on children.
• Utilized insights from the situation analysis and expert feedback to develop an initial audio-visual campaign script.
• Produced draft BCC materials, including short films and radio messages, to disseminate key messages to diverse audiences.

National-Level Public-Private Dialogue:

• Convened a national forum involving government agencies, NGOs, child health experts, media representatives, and activists.
• Presented the draft campaign materials and findings from the situation analysis.
• Facilitated discussions to incorporate stakeholder feedback into the final campaign strategy and materials.

Dissemination of Campaign Materials:

• Finalized and distributed BCC materials to key duty bearers, including policymakers, NGOs, and advocacy groups, ensuring wide outreach.
• Engaged with media outlets to broadcast campaign messages and amplify awareness on the issue.

Monitoring, Follow-Up, and Learning:

• Monitored the dissemination and impact of campaign activities, gathering feedback from stakeholders and the public.
• Conducted follow-up evaluations to document lessons learned and identify areas for improvement.
• Produced a final project report summarizing outcomes, challenges, and recommendations for future interventions.

Key Outcomes and Recommendations:

• Community Impact: Increased public awareness of noise pollution’s impact on child health and well-being.
• Policy Advocacy: Influenced stakeholders to prioritize noise control measures in urban planning.
• Sustainable Strategies: Created replicable models for engaging communities in urban child health advocacy.

This project demonstrated a scalable, participatory model for addressing environmental threats to children in urban settings, paving the way for sustainable urban health interventions.