Around 20 percent areas of Dhaka city are vulnerable to climate change of which 14 percent are flood prone area, 4 percent waterlogged while 2 percent is congested, said a study of Dhaka University (DU).
The study was revealed by Nazrul Islam Urban Studio of Dhaka University’s Department of Geography and Environment on the sixth instant with the assistance of Bangladesh Climate Change Trust of Ministry of Environment and Forests.Environment and Forests Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud addressed the programme as the chief guest at Kazi Motahar Hossain Bhaban (Science Annex Building) on the campus.
Speaking on the occasion Anisul Islam said, “Natural hazards caused by climate change are a major challenge towards the development of Bangladesh. We have to go forward collectively to overcome the challenges.” Acknowledging the vulnerabilities faced by climate change migrants, Anisul said, “Among all the climate migrants, river erosion affected people are suffering the most. Every year around 5,000 hectares of land are inundated and 50,000 families are affected because of natural disasters.” Anisul stressed the need for intensifying further research, knowledge management and identification of vulnerable areas to reduce the impacts of climate change.
“The government wants to work with the people to solve the climate change crisis. Non-government organizations and mass media have to play their due role. Continuous research works should be conducted in this regard,” he added.
Project Director of the research, professor Dr Nurul Islam Nazem presented the summary of the research titled “Adaptation of climate change induced and environmentally stressed internally displaced people to cities: a study on the Dhaka metropolitan region” which was carried out for over two years. The study revealed that damages to public infrastructure, water logging, damages to crops, waterborne diseases, economic loss, communication cost, problem of inconvenience and fatalities from lightening are the major impacts from climatic hazards.
Polli Karma-Sohayak Foundation Chairman Dr Kazi Khaliquzzaman, Managing Director of Climate Change Trust Dipok Kanti Pal, among others, addressed the function while DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md. Akhtaruzzaman presided over it.
