Experts call for planned migration of climate change refugees
Dr Atiq Rahman speaks at a policy dialogue on 'Climate change, migration and environment in Bangladesh' at Sheraton Hotel in the city yesterday. Department of Population Science in cooperation with UNFPA organised the programme.Photo: STAR
Experts at a policy dialogue yesterday underscored the need for planned migration of climate change refugees who would be affected by sea level rise, natural disasters and drought, resulting from the global climate change.
They also called for implementing the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan and National Adaptation Plan of Action to mitigate the problems facing the country.
Styled 'Climate change, migration and environment in Bangladesh', the dialogue was organised by Population Sciences department of Dhaka University (DU) in cooperation with UNFPA at city hotel.
A number of scientists and academics took part in the programme where they said that internal migrants affected by the changes would need a planned migration for the most part.
Executive Director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies Dr Atiq Rahman in his keynote paper said around 35 million people of the country would be affected by climate change and most of them would be internal migrants.
Quoting IPCC and Nobel Peace Committee warning, he said extensive climate change may alter and threaten living conditions of much of the mankind, there would be a sudden increase in large-scale migration and those may lead greater competition for the earth's resources, particularly in the developing countries.
There would be a rise in sea level in the southern region of the country, an increase in drought in the northern region and a frequency of natural disasters, he said, adding that the poorest would be hit earliest and hardest by the impacts.
Atiq suggested initiating a migration negotiation framework to negotiate with the developed countries mostly responsible for the climate change.
Country Director of Population Council Dr Obaidur Rahman said there would be more internal migration than external due to the changes. So, the country needs to have a plan for internal migration.
Speaking as the chief guest, DU Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz said the humankind is destroying the planet and the people of Bangladesh are now threatened by the disastrous impacts of climate change.
The university must come up with all of its energy to face the crisis and it should incorporate climate change and migration issues in its studies, he added.
Moderated by Prof AKM Nurun Nabi, the dialogue was attended by UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh Arthur Erken and Dean of Social Sciences faculty Prof Harun-or-Rashid as the special guests.
Acting chairman of Population Sciences department Prof Mehedi Hasan Khan, Prof Abdus Salam, Prof Dalim Chandra Barman, Dr Mahbub Ullah and Dr Mahbuba Nasrin of DU also spoke at the programme.
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