Climate Change Impacts and Urban Migration: Confronting the Looming Crisis

Mohammad Zaman, PhDSocial Policy/Development Specialist

&

Executive Director, Society for Bangladesh Climate Justice

Vancouver, B.C., Canadae-mail: drmqzaman@gmail.com; website: bangladeshcalling.org

Rural-Urban Migration: An Overview

• Studies on rural-urban migration typically focuses on the slums and bastees, particularly in Dhaka City

• The massive demolition of “illegal structures” by the Caretaker Govt. (2006-08) turned out a highly charged political issue due to

• Displacement of the urban poor and their resettlement

• Vis-a-vis the rising tide of new in-migrants

• Today, 1 out of every 3 persons lives in Bastees in Dhaka

• Migration to cities will increase manifolds in the future due to climate-induced displacement in Bangladesh

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The Urban Poor:Issues and Complexities

• Issues surrounding the Urban poor are extremely complex – involve

• Social, economic, political rights• Provision for security of tenure• Better living environment with adequate services

• My paper is not on urbanization per se• Paper addresses risks associated with sea

level rise• Population displacement• Involuntary Migration - internal and cross-border• Resettlement and livelihoods

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Climate Risks – the Scenario

• Bangladesh is the epic centre of the climate disaster

• Most densely populated deltaic country with low lying coastal zone

• About 23%of the country’s area is vulnerable due to sea level rise

• If the water level rises by one meter, 30 million people will be displaced by 2030

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Wide ranging Impacts:Displacement and Migration

Risks and impacts are multidimensional –

Millions will be displace and forced to move

Agriculture, food production, fishery, forestry affected

Adverse impacts on human health and well-being

• Climate change will make millions homeless and refugees in their own country

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Key Elements of Environment/Climate Migrant or

Refugees• Involuntary in nature• Sudden displacement• Lack of preparation• No resources• People displaced are

poor and need urgent support and assistance

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Is Migration a Climate “Solution”?

• Huge migration of rural, climate-induced migration to cities –

• Create gigantic problems in all respects• Many difficulties in developing sustainable urban

living

• Cities in Bangladesh can’t cope with such migration

• Need a paradigm shift – • In our approach to planned city•Search for climate solution

• Adaptation strategy by GOB won’t be easy or cheaper – awareness, capacity building, housing, shelter, livelihoods must be addressed

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Future Challenges

• First, communities at risks must be mobilized “ground-up” thru community-led actions

• Second, ground-up must be complemented by integrated approach to floodplain and coastal development

• Third, disaster mitigation policies must spend more resources for studying climate “solutions” and promoting indigenous ways to deal with calamities

• Finally, a strong, participatory, and responsive local govt system must be ensured for sustainable reconstruction and development in an era of climate change

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