THE information that Dhaka is one of the most overpopulated cities in the world has become a cliché nowadays. It is being observed for a long time that, most of the unemployed and poverty-stricken people of the countryside migrate to the capital city of Dhaka. We saw in the past that a large portion of them would come to the city to search for work in off-seasons and would go back to their villages once the season for cultivation would start. But the situation is now changing which is, albeit, worsening.Â
A recent report published by The Guardian claims that in addition to poverty, climate change has become one of the most influential drivers to make the people, mostly known as 'Climate Refugees' migrate to the city. Research indicates that a majority of the newcomers to Dhaka hails from coastal areas of the country that are already affected by increased salinity, rising sea level and destructive floods and cyclones. Moreover, those who are leaving such areas are predominantly the male members of the families which make the women and children of those areas more vulnerable. Adaptation against the adverse effects of climate change has become impossible for the affected people who have no other choice but to migrate to other places.Â
The streams of millions of people to the capital city must be controlled in no time. Hence the adaptation financing can be a possible solution to this problem which is going to pose greater threats in the days to come. The authority must come forward and form an adaptation finance fund which will enable the affected people to face such challenges ahead and withstand the effects of climate change while living in their own locality.
Farid Uddin Khan
Department of Accounting & Information Systems, University of Dhaka
fariduddinkhan07@gmail.com
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Save the climate refugees
FE Team | Published: October 05, 2016 20:25:14 | Updated: October 22, 2017 13:00:42
Save the climate refugees
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