Address needs of climate migrants, PM tells COP25

MADRID, Spain, Dec 2 (UNB): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged on Monday the international community to initiate discussions on creation of an appropriate framework to address the needs of the people who got displaced due to climate change.

"We must appreciate that migration could be an effective adaptation strategy, as we focus on enhancing adaptation capacities of affected communities. Hence, relocation and protection of displaced persons need due focus in global discourse to ensure their protection. We need to commence discussions on creation of an appropriate framework to address the needs of people displaced due to climate change," she said.

The Prime Minister made the call while addressing the Action for Survival: Vulnerable Nations COP25 Leaders' Summit at Feria de Madrid (IFEMA) in Madrid, the capital of Spain.

She said it is widely accepted that the gravest effect of climate change may be on human migration. Extreme weather events are already displacing many more people than violent conflicts. Slow-onset events like sea-level rise and desertification get even lower global focus. "We must work towards correcting this imbalance."