Climate Change and Displacement In Bangladesh

By Arbay Abdulahi ​

The quote ‘Displacement is not the loss of home. It is the reminder that we carry home within us, like seeds waiting for the right soil.’ is an affirmation of human resilience in the face of environmental catastrophe. “ We carry our home within us” means we carry our home with us in our memories, identity, culture, and sense of belonging. And that the community you are now in can be a challenging environment but where you came from will always be with you no matter what and nobody can take that away from you, it will always be with you. 

A story about climate displacement that I read about was the climate displacement in Bangladesh. The climate displacement that happened in Bangladesh was a critical crisis that had happened because of the escalating climate change impacts. The problem intensified in natural hazards like current monsoon flooding, severe cyclones from the bay of Bengal, and chronic riverbank erosion and that all worsened by rising sea levels. All of that led to homes being destroyed, agricultural land, and traditional livelihoods. This massively forced displacement. 

So, after the climate crisis most of the people arrived in Dhaka and over there the people were forced into overcrowded urban slums. And over there they encountered exploitation and vulnerability due to hardship. But even with everything that was going on that had to do with them losing their home, and having to leave the only place they've known because it was ruined they still were able to adapt to their new environment eventually and actively work to maintain their cultural identity by carrying traditions and social practices forward, ensuring that their heritage endures even after the loss of their physical homes. 

I believe that one way that people can support displaced communities and promote climate justice is by advocating for it and about it whether it's online or somewhere public. And another way would be by looking for organizations that accept donations to help those who are the most affected when it comes to climate change. 


References: 

• Climate displacement in Bangladesh, the need for urgent housing, land and property rights solution, 2012
  
  • https://unfccc.int/files/adaptation/groups_committees/loss_and_damage_executive_committee/application/pdf/ds_bangladesh_report.pdfLinks to an external site.