Integrated efforts of all concerned has become crucial to eradicate the urban poverty caused by the adverse impact of climate change as the climate-induced poverty has been escalating gradually in the urban areas.
Rural less-income 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.
The observation came at a kick-off workshop titled “Skill Training and Employment Support Component” held recently at the City Bhaban conference hall of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC).
GIZ hosted the workshop under the ‘Urban Management of Internal Migration due to Climate Change (UMIMCC)’ and the Urban Management of Migration and Livelihood (UMML) projects.
Various need-based infrastructures are being built in city areas for providing shelter of the internal migrated people besides providing short and long term job oriented training and health care facilities to the ultra-poor and poor class people with interventions of the projects.
RCC Chief Executive Officer Dr Sharif Uddin, Ward Councilors Towhidul Haque and Tariqul Islam and President of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industries Md Muniruzzaman addressed the meeting.
President of Rajshahi Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries Prof Rozety Naznin, President of Bangladesh Silk Industries Owners Association Liakat Ali and Principal of Rajshahi Women Technical Training Centre Nazmul Haque also spoke on the occasion.
GIZ Adviser Akteruzzaman Rana told the meeting that climate change is becoming a threat to the urban environment and development and livelihood as well the uncertainty. Urban poverty is highly linked with rural disaster risks.
Depicting the present scenario of climate induced urban migration he said the projects intend to improve the social-economic status of those who are forced to migrate to the city area due to climate change.
The urbanisation situation, particularly the housing in the city is getting more acute with every passing year.
To mitigate the problems, some 750 slum people are getting skill development training here for involving them with various post-training income-generating activities for improving their living and livelihood condition.
Simultaneously, necessary measures were also taken to develop small and medium entrepreneurs in the slum areas.
He, however, mentioned all the vulnerability issues need to be brought under comprehensive risks based master plan to accommodate at least 30 percent people from vulnerable rural areas.
