The adverse impact of climate change will induce about 35 million people of the coastal areas of the country to migrate to other places by 2050.
Leading environmentalist Prof Dr Ainun Nishat disclosed this on Saturday. He was making a keynote presentation on research findings on migration trends and patterns in two union parishads — Gabura and Munshiganj in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira, a south-western district. “If the current trends of migration continue, 2.4 million to 3.5 million people would migrate further from Gabura and 3.7 million to 3.9 million people from Munshiganj unions during the period. Of them, most people will migrate to Satkhira, the gradually enhanced town,” he said.
Dr Nishat said most of the people migrated from their locality to another place for livelihood.
Mentioning that there is a debate on shrimp cultivation in coastal areas, he said: “We should go for land use policy so that the land owner can get benefit from it.”
Dr Nishat, also the vice-chancellor of BRAC University, said 30 per cent of the people in the coastal areas have been facing drinking water scarcity.
He emphasised the need for ensuring good governance to deal with induced migration due to climate change.
The study report was disclosed at a workshop on “Role of Governance in Climate Change Induced Migration”.
The function was also addressed, among others, by the additional secretary and national project director of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (Phase II), Mohammad Abdul Qayyum, and additional secretary in the ministry of environment and forests, Dr Aparup Chowdhury.
The research findings show that a total of 3,951 people migrated either permanently or temporarily from Gabura union, while 3,049 migrated from Munshiganj union after the cyclone Aila. Of them, 3,302 migrated temporarily and 659 permanently from Gabura, while 2,368 migrated temporarily from Munshiganj and 681 permanently.
The research shows that one in every 10 people in Gabura and Munshiganj union parishads has migrated from the locality after the cyclone Aila that hit in the south-western part of the country on May 25 in 2009.
The tendency of temporary and permanent migration from Gabura union is higher than Munshiganj, the study conducted by the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) revealed.
A team of C3ER, conducted the survey in all the 7,565 households of Gabura union, and 7,645 households in Munshiganj union, with assistance from the Associated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA).
The study revealed that of the permanent migrants, the highest number of 508 people migrated by crossing the border. In all, 216 migrated in Satkhira, 177 in Khulna, 95 in Jessore, 56 in Dhaka, 30 in Gopalganj, 27 in Chittagong,, 21 in Rangamati, 13 each in Bagerhat, Comilla and Munshiganj, 8 in Kustia, 6 in Sunamganj, 5 in Panchagar, 4 in Bhola, 3 in Manikganj, 2 in Faridpur and 1 each in Feni and Tangail.
Of the temporary migrants, the highest number of 1,197 migrated in the capital city of Dhaka, while 1,156 in Khulna, 831 in Satkhira, 817 by crossing the boundary, 463 in Jessore, 96 in Gopalganj, 87 in Chittagong, 70 in Comilla, 59 in Norail, 43 in Manikganj, 41 in Barisal and 34 in Rangamati.
Besides, people of Gabura and Munshiganj also migrated temporarily in Noakhali,, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Kishoreganj, Munshiganj,, Patuakhali, Kustia, Tangail, Rangpur, Madaripur, Dinajpur, Shariatpur, Cox’s bazaar, Narail, Rajshahi, Bagerhat, Faridpur, Bogra, Lakshmipur, Feni, Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Bhola, Pirojpur, Barisal, Brahmanbaria, Gazipur, Khagrachari, Magura, Natore, Netrakona, and Pabna.
Of the migrant people, over 62 per cent are day labourers, followed by service holders, housewives, those engaged in agriculture and business, drivers and others, according to the report.
The study also revealed that the livelihood of people in coastal areas has been transformed from crop agriculture to day labourer, student to service, student to day labourer, fish agriculture to day labourer, unemployed to service, business to day labourer, crop agriculture to driver, unemployed to day labourer, crab collector to day labourer, business to service, forest dependent to day labourer and housewife to day labourer.
The daily income of a non-migrant household is Tk. 62 less than that of a migrant household. One out of every five migrant household members has chosen to change his/her livelihood, it said.
-With The Independent input
