Chattogram Bureau :
Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury formally Inaugurated the improvement of Urban Poor Communities Project (LIUPCP) at Bijoy Nagar, Charar Para of Ward 9 of the CCC on Saturday. The mayor said, initiative and effective measures are urgently required to tackle the adverse impact of climate change on the urban poor people.
“We must work together to offer innovative and effective solutions to tackle the adverse impact of climate change on the poor people of the port-city,” he said while laying a foundation stone of a climate-resilient community water purification infrastructure under the Livelihoods improvement of Urban Poor Communities Project (LIUPCP).
The Local Government Division (LGD), Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives (MoLGRD&C) – with financial and technical support from the Government of Bangladesh, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have been implementing the LIUPC project under the National Urban Poverty Reduction Programme (NUPRP) to reduce urban poverty in Bangladesh.
Addressing the function, Judith Herbertson, Development Director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Bangladesh, said, “Climate change will become a huge problem for Bangladesh as it is a delta and much of the land and therefore many people are at risk. However, the community here is working together with support from the Bangladesh Government, the FCDO and the UNDP through this LIUPC project to change their situation.”
Sudipto Mukerjee, Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh, said, “Many of the new settlers in cities and towns are both climate migrants and extremely poor – moving to urban areas in search of a better life. Yet many end up living in slums in very poor conditions. As is often the case, women and girls are more vulnerable.”
Abdul Mannan, National Project Director, LIUPC Project & Joint Secretary, Local Government Division, MoLGRD&C, said that the LIUPC project is designed to reach first the unserved and underserved urban population in Bangladesh. “It aims to promote livelihoods and living conditions of up to 4 million poor people living in urban areas in up to 20 City Corporations and Paurashavas (12 City Corporations and 8 Class A Paurashavas),” he said.
Chattogram is the second-largest city in Bangladesh and is also home to thousands of urban poor. Hilly terrain, heavy rainfall, and soil erosion trigger frequent floods, waterlogging, and landslides, thereby disrupting communication. This adversely affects city dwellers’ livelihoods, especially the urban poor, who live in foothills such as Bijoy Nagar, Charar Para. Moreover, the area also faces challenges of sewage waste overflow, which can impact public health. Effects of climate change further exacerbate the impacts of the natural hazards, and the poor drainage and sewage network adds to the suffering of the urban poor communities.
