Climate change impacts are causing disproportionate impacts and forcing people to compromise their basic human rights, the latest study reveals.
Keeping this in view, speakers at a seminar demanded a stand-alone legal instrument under the UNFCCC held at the national press club in Dhaka.
They put this demand in such a time when the UNHCR’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change, Dr Ian Fry, is currently visiting Bangladesh to capture relevant evidences from the ground.
Center for Participatory Research and Development and its research partners SDS, MAASAUS and Badaban Shangho conducted the study in 600 families in Shariarpur, Rajshahi and Satkhira districts.
The study identified an increase in dropping out of schools, child marriage, social and sexual harassment, abuse, gender-based violence, child labor etc. in the erosion displaced communities.
An increase in women’s uterus infection, preeclampsia, miscarriage etc. due to forced/helplessly intake and use of saline water in the south-west coastal areas, the study shows.
An increase of involuntary migration from the Barind areas while leaving women burdened with extra work and exposure to the social risks e.g., sexual violence, as per the study.
The study identified a clear link of rights violation especially when the residual impacts of extreme weather event and slow process become persistent and force people to compromise their basic needs and requirements.
Reflecting on the study findings, Sharif Jamil, General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) said that it’s not the climate change impacts only, there are other issues like governance failure, power and class domination, socio-political marginalization and exclusion etc., which act as the triggering factors of vulnerability.
He also stressed the need to address those also, otherwise we might fail to protect rights.
Nikhil Bhadra, Senior Reporter, Kaler Kontho hailed the research findings as they established a causal relationship between climate change impacts and human rights violation. He emphasises more such researches to capture on-the-ground evidences.
CPRD Chief Executive Md Shamsuddoha emphasises establishment of a legal instrument or framework under the UNFCCC to safeguard rights of the climate victims.
He also demanded IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) special report on human rights and climate change.
Rabeya Begum, Executive Director SDS and said that ‘Let not there be a single more instance of child marriage, harassment and gender-based violence’.
Among others. Lipi Rahman, Executive Director of Badabon Shangho,and Merina Husda, Executive Director MAASAUS spoke in the event.
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