Bangladesh among least peaceful countries

Bangladesh is one of the least peaceful countries in the world as it continued its downward slip in terms of peace by dropping down nine spots in the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2019.

Bangladesh has been ranked 101th out of 163 countries with a global score of 2.128. Last year, its position was 93 with a score of 2.084.

According to the report, China, Bangladesh, and India score in the bottom half of the GPI and have significant exposure to climate hazards, with 393 million people in high climate hazard areas.

A total of USD 22,297.4 million was the cost of violence in Bangladesh last year while it is 3 per cent of the GDP, the report said.

Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the index by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark.

India has been ranked 141th while Pakistan 153rd and Afghanistan 163rd.

The 13th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) measured the peacefulness of 163 independent states and territories.

The GPI covers 99.7 per cent of the world’s population, using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, and measures the state of peace using three thematic domains: the level of Societal Safety and Security; the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and the degree of Militarisation.

According to the latest report, global peacefulness improved very slightly in the 2019 GPI with the average country score improved by 0.09 per cent.

It said peacefulness improved in 86 countries while deteriorates in 76 countries.

Bhutan has recorded the largest improvement of any country in the top 20, rising 43 places in the last 12 years.

Afghanistan is now the least peaceful country in the world, replacing Syria, which is now the second least peaceful. South Sudan, Yemen, and Iraq comprise the remaining five least peaceful countries.

Climate change can indirectly increase the likelihood of violent conflict through its impacts on resource availability, livelihood, security and migration, the report said.

The report said in Dhaka’s slums, 81 per cent of migrants cited a climate-related cause as the main reason for their move. High levels of resource scarcity and strained public resources contributed to violence in these slums, with climate refugees intensifying already present social stress.

“Future rises in sea levels are projected to affect around 18 million people in Bangladesh and result in a 16 per cent loss of land, displacing many coastal citizens and putting the country under high migration pressure.”