‘Migration not first choice of climate change victims’

People who are losing their livelihoods and accommodations following climate change effects do not want to migrate as the best adaptation strategy, revealed an ongoing survey.

The report claimed they are migrating into the country’s coastal and northern regions to survive temporarily or to cope with the climatic disasters.

These findings came out from the survey on “Climate Change and Migration: From Problem to Solution,” at a discussion in the city’s Bangla Academy auditorium today.

Manshuer Jonno Foundation (MJF) and The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) jointly conducted the survey among 250 households in Bhola Sadar upazila, Gaibandha Sadar and Fulchari upazilas along with the capital’s Kallyanpur slum area from last August.

The survey is expected to end in the next year’s February.

Saleemul Huq, noted climate researcher and director of ICCCAD, presented a summary on the survey’s findings.

After migrating to new areas, the climate change affected people face multiple problems--water security, sanitation facilities, health and children’s education, he mentioned.

“In Bangladesh, around 15 million people may be displaced from their houses by the next two decade due to impacts of climate change. But we cannot absorb another 10 million people in Dhaka city. So, we need planned migration,” Saleemul Huq said.

Prof AQM Mahbub, of Geography and Environment in Dhaka University, has stressed on planned solutions in the affected areas where the people are facing challenges instead of migration to other areas.

Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of Power and Participation Research Centre and a former adviser to the caretaker government said the solutions must be taken from the experiences of the affected people.

Sormindo Nilormi, professor of Economics at Jahangirnagar University, mentioned on taking inclusive policies for the climate change affected people based on the country’s development policies.

Chairing at the programme MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam urged the policy makers to include the climate change issue with the government’s mainstream development policies.