National Desk :
Around 700 urban migrant households were given requisite support aimed at improving their level of confidence after the best uses of local resources in Rajshahi city.
Besides, they got scopes of eradicating their poverty caused by the adverse impact of climate change as the climate-induced poverty has been escalating gradually in the urban areas.
The views were revealed in the inception workshop of a project titled “Community Social Labs: An initiative to improve the living conditions of vulnerable slum residents” held at the City Bhaban conference hall yesterday afternoon.
The 15-month project is being implemented in some parts of the city under the Urban Management of International Migration due to Climate Change (UMIMCC) and Urban Management of Migration and Livelihoods Projects.
Deutsche Gesellshaft fur International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) has been implementing the project in association with Caritas Bangladesh being funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded by the European Union (EU).
City Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton addressed the inception meeting as chief guest expecting that the slum people will be aware about identifying their problems through this project.
As per priority, the community people, who are migrated by the adverse impact of climate change to the city, will find out ways of solutions and ultimately they will be benefited.
With Regional Director of Caritas Bangladesh Sukleash George Costa in the chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by ward councilors of Rajshahi City Corporation Muhammad Kamruzzaman, Matiur Rahman and Ayesha Khatun and Secretary Moshiur Rahman and Social Service Officer Dr Hamidul Haque.
Mayor Liton also mentioned that the rural poor people with their recurrent disaster exposures are migrating into urban areas. These newcomers face a high employment crisis in the city and with very poor-quality housing and other well-being further tapping them into a deeper urban poverty cycle.
Climate change is becoming a threat to the urban environment and development and livelihood as well as uncertainty. Urban poverty is highly linked with rural disaster risks.
The urbanisation situation, particularly the housing in the city, is getting more acute with every passing year.
Liton mentioned all the vulnerability issues need to be brought under a comprehensive risk based master plan to accommodate at least 30 per cent people from vulnerable rural areas around.
