‘Climate migrants pose bigger risk for the future’

Natural disasters are not only life-threatening, but they are also causing internal displacement, migration in Bangladesh. 

So, there needs to be policy coordination between the Eighth Five Year Plan and the Delta Plan 2100 to limit climate change induced migration, displacement. 

Speakers said this on Tuesday at the ActionAid Bangladesh webinar: "Addressing climate induced migration in Bangladesh: Taking a human rights-based approach."

Eighteen million people will face internal migration within the next few years for several reasons including climate change. And the number will be 21.3 million by 2041, according to the findings of an ActionAid study disclosed at the webinar.

The study also found that people have a lack of skills to deal with climate change. 

Also, no system has been developed at the local government level to assist the internal migrants. They are always afraid of being evicted while living in the cities.

The study recommended equipping these people with skills to enable them to face climate change and making a digital risk and resilience index, setting up information centres for internal migrant workers in different parts of the country. 

Different sections of the society including women and youth need to have opportunities to participate in policymaking and people's voice should be heard, ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir said.

"When khas lands are distributed among the climate refugees, women should get priority."

International Center for Climate Change and Development Director Professor Saleemul Haq said, "It will be a bigger challenge to deal with the climate migrants in the in future."

"Getting data on these people will be critical. However, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is going to conduct a two-year pilot programme to assess the damage caused by climate change."

Organization for Social and Economic Development Executive Director Shamim Arfeen said two-three cyclones hit the people of  Bangladesh's southern part hard each year – destroying all of their belongings, forcing them to flock to the cities.

But these people do not get citizen services and employment opportunities in the cities and experience a mental trauma in the slums, Shamim Arfeen said.

Shongshoptaque Chief Executive Litton Chowdhury, Brac-KfW Climate Bridge Fund Secretariat Chief Dr Golam Rabbani, and International Center for Migration Policy Development Country Coordinator Ikram Hassan also spoke at the programme.