The tempest of exodus: the case of climate change-induced displacement in Bangladesh and international negotiations
The climate induced forced migration is on the rise, with alarming proportion, though human migration is not new. Coupled with a number of hydrological, geological and socio-economic factors the impacts of climate change have resulted in increased poverty, death, loss of property and more importantly forced migration in Bangladesh. Analysing existing available data, Unnayan Onneshan has revealed a worrying picture of forced migration due to some hydro-meteorological hazards namely floods, cyclones, droughts, river bank erosion in Bangladesh. The study found that on an average 2.5 million people displaced permanently in every major floods. Even though cyclone hits this delta on a regular interval, but the frequency and intensity has increased many folds in recent times along with increased damages. Within last 5 years, cyclone Sidr displaced 650,000 people; about 20,000 people were displaced by cyclone Bijli; and another 842,000 by Aila (Akter, 2009; Kumar et.al. 2010). Riverbank erosion also causes loss of thousands of hectares of agricultural land; loss of homes and property; death and injury; and disruption of economic production, education, communications and sanitation facilities.