Climate refugees in S Asia

Already number of people in Bangladesh have been forced to leave their homes after their land was swallowed by the sea

Contrary to what is being recommended by experts about the need for effective steps to reverse the disastrous effects of climate change, most governments appear to be bucking serious attempts at environmental regulation, thereby aggravating the crisis and setting in a train of disasters. The recent years have seen a significant rise in people migrating from rural areas to urban centres.

South Asia is one of the worst-affected regions where more and more people are moving from villages to cities mostly due to economic reasons. The trend is expected to grow as by 2050, some 63 million people in these countries could be compelled to leave their homes as rising seas and floods swallow villages and lack or excess of rains destroys farming, says a report. It does not include those who would be forced to migrate due to cyclones and other such disasters. It would push an increasing number of the rural poor into cities in search of work. People from villages move to cities in search of a better future, but their dreams are soon shattered as in cities they live in slums where social services are scanty and they hang on to low-paid work. This calls for increasing job opportunities in rural areas so that people don’t have to migrate.

The report urges the rich North to cut their carbon emission to reduce global warming and provide funds to South Asian countries to enable them to cope with the effects of climate change. If global warming is reduced by the agreed below 2 degrees Celsius, the number of people leaving their villages in South Asia could be brought down by half by 2050. Already a sizable number of people in Bangladesh have been forced to leave their homes after their land was swallowed by the sea. Many have found new homes in far-away countries. The report has underscored the need for reducing the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Unfortunately, what is being witnessed is that vested interests are exploiting disasters for their own benefit.