Some 11.8 million people in the country will soon face internal migration due to various reasons, including climate change, according to a new study.
The migration could reach 21.3 million by 2041, it added, saying that Bangladesh would have 195 million to 200 million people in 2031 and 207 to 234 million people in 2051.
The study report was shared in a session titled "Addressing Climate Change Induced Migration in Bangladesh: Taking a Human Rights Based Approach" organized by ActionAid Bangladesh on Tuesday.
The study also found that men and women lack a variety of skills to deal with climate change. It found that at the local government level, no system or information system has been developed to assist migrant families. Research showed that immigrants are always afraid of being evicted.
Mentioning the need for coordinating the 8th Five-Year Plan and the Delta Plan in the policy making on climate change-related migration, Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid, said, "Various disasters force many people to migrate. The issue of women should be given priority when khas land is distributed among the climate refugees."
She added that in formulating the policy, there should be opportunities for participation of various sections including women and youth, and above all the views of the general public should be heard.
There is a clear difference between migration due to climate change and migration due to man-made climate change, said Professor Saleemul Haq, Director of the International Center for Climate Change and Development.
"Migration is an ongoing process. But climate change is a big challenge for the future of migration in dealing with," he said.
He informed that the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is going to conduct a two-year pilot programme to assess the damages caused by the climate change.
Chief Executive of the Center for Participatory Research and Development Samsuddoha and Shamim Arfin of Organization for Social and Economic Development also spoke in the session.
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