Speakers at a national dialogue on Wednesday raised concern over Bangladesh’s growing climate-induced urban migration and called for urgent measures to reduce risks and improve living conditions for displaced, disaster-affected, and marginalised communities.
Caritas Bangladesh organised the dialogue titled “National Consultation with Journalists on Climate Migration" on Wednesday at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), bringing together leading journalists to discuss the issue of climate-driven internal migration.
Highlighting the increasing migration of people from climate-vulnerable regions to urban slums due to livelihood losses and displacement they emphasised strengthening civil society and media collaboration in advocating for inclusive urban policies.
Participants pointed out that migrants often end up in inhumane conditions, lacking access to basic services and security and the inadequacy of existing government policies to address this crisis was also underscored.
At the consultation event, themed on 'Climate Migration and the City: Shaping the Narrative, Influencing Policy', Caritas Bangladesh Director (Programs) Daud Jibon Dash highlighted the organisation’s initiatives to reduce risks and improve living conditions for climate-displaced, disaster-affected, vulnerable, and marginalized communities.
The keynote paper, authored by renowned environmental expert and former BRAC University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Ainun Nishat was presented by Alexander Tripura, Head of Disaster Management at Caritas Bangladesh.
Moderated by prominent development and media professional Dr Jamil Ahmed, Technical Adviser (Advocacy) at Caritas Bangladesh, the event featured remarks on the keynote presentation from senior journalists including Prothom Alo Joint Editor Sohrab Hassan, General Secretary of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Mynul Hasan Sohel and Chief Reporter of The New Nation, Rafiqul Islam Azad.
Speakers emphasised the need for stronger coordination among government departments and called for the development of inclusive urban planning frameworks.
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Journalists shared their experiences and perspectives related to the issues, and they were urged to produce more investigative reports on these gaps to influence both national and international policy responses.
Participants noted that due to cyclones, tidal floods, salinity intrusion, and river erosion, the rate of climate-induced internal migration is rising in Bangladesh.
Many affected families are relocating to cities like Dhaka, Khulna, and Chattogram, only to face new challenges such as unsafe housing, lack of water, healthcare, education, and social exclusion.
Although several national plans recognise the issue of climate-induced migration, the absence of a dedicated legal framework continues to hinder the inclusion and service delivery for affected populations, they said.
According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), over 4.7 million people were displaced in Bangladesh due to natural disasters between 2008 and 2014.
Research by Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit and SCMR estimates that between 16 to 26 million people may be internally displaced due to climate change by 2050; and a 2023 study by German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) revealed that 57% of urban climate migrants come from the coastal district of Satkhira alone.
The session concluded with participants expressing hope that increased media attention will enhance public awareness and accelerate policy reform. S
Speakers called on journalists to report consistently—and with a human rights perspective—on climate migration, thereby strengthening civil society and media collaboration in advocating for inclusive urban policies.