Bangladesh needs support for legal migration routes for climate-vulnerables | Media Pyro

In the last 15 years the frequency and intensity of cyclones, floods and tidal waves have increased in Bangladesh. The effects of salt intrusion and drought have worsened over the past two years. These climatic conditions have affected the livelihoods of coastal populations and their ability to adapt.

Agricultural options are limited along the coasts, where high salinity and variable rainfall make harvesting rice and other seasonal crops difficult. On the other hand, shrimp farming, despite its popularity on the coasts, has not had much employment opportunities. It is also vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as shrimp farms can be washed away by strong tides and hurricanes. Apart from agriculture, there are also limited options for entrepreneurship and service industries in coastal villages.

From the outside, it seems that the local youth and their families have very little hope for the future. Poverty, school dropout, early marriage, and health problems caused by the use of salt water are widespread. But if you hear about their dreams, you will be amazed at their strength.

Many young people in the area have already completed college and even graduate studies. The internet has reached the remotest villages of Padmapukur and Koyra, connecting people and their ideas. Young people not only play games on their smartphones, but also access information about career opportunities, both at home and abroad.

For example, I met an HSC student at Kaikhali Union of Shyamnagar, Satkhira, who was thinking of learning IT skills to get a freelance or online job. Ambitions know no bounds. I met eight-year-old Asmat, who had made up his mind to become a pilot. He doesn’t want to be a taxi driver like his father, who works hard to make ends meet.

Another HSC candidate, Sadiya, is looking for opportunities to work abroad. In fact, many young people like him love to work abroad. For example, a man was telling me how he goes to work in India every year. Although one of his friends was arrested by the police and imprisoned for several months for illegal activity there, he still thought it was a good result because he did not see any good work opportunities in his home during the rain.

The young population of coastal villages wants to develop their skills and knowledge and advance their careers. But in the absence of training and job opportunities, many of them fail to fulfill their potential. They end up working in brick kilns or other labor intensive informal sector jobs. The lack of protective measures leads to unnecessary migration for some.

However, parents of these young children understand the importance of local adaptation research. Many have expressed their hope that the government will make special arrangements to evacuate people from their climate-vulnerable homes.

The people of the coasts may not know about the GCM (Global Compact on Migration) programs that aim to create a legal way for them to migrate abroad. They are also not very familiar with the government’s action plans designed for adaptation. However, there is an increasing demand for overseas jobs and training opportunities to enable them to excel themselves, wherever they are.

But how far have we progressed in meeting the GCM goals? At this point, the main step is to call on the government bodies to plan visa options for the climate-vulnerable. But there is still a long way to go in order to produce important policies and translate them into tangible benefits. The politics of climate change remain an uncontrollable issue. For example, at COP27, climate change was not on the agenda. But can we talk about climate adaptation and disease and harm without considering the need to create global pathways for the climate-vulnerable? Adaptation or robust construction will not be very easy if this component is missing.

Support for climate change at COP27 is an opportunity to influence rich countries to participate. In addition to receiving their general commitment, we must decide to provide financial and technical support to ensure a safe way of migration abroad. The government of Bangladesh can play an active role here in discussing the legal framework to promote employment abroad for climate-vulnerable people in Bangladesh.

Shakirul Islam He is the founding chairman of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP), an organization for migrants in Bangladesh.