Lauding the preparing of a climate displacement strategy, KCC Administrator Nazrul Islam Manju said the number of people displaced by climate change is increasing rapidly.
Many of them are living in extremely difficult conditions in different parts of the city and its adjoining areas in search of livelihoods, he said while speaking as chief guest at a comprehensive strategy handing over ceremony titled “Strategy for Managing Climate-Induced Internal Displacement in Khulna Metropolitan City,” today.
He said the strategy would play an important role in KCC’s future planning to improve the socio-economic condition of displaced people.
The KCC Administrator also stressed the need for coordinated initiatives by government and private organisations to develop adequate and appropriate housing facilities for climate-displaced people.
He also called for developing an integrated and reliable database of climate-displaced communities to ensure better future planning, service delivery and allocation of resources.
Caritas Khulna Regional Director Albino Nath handed over the strategy document to KCC Administrator Nazrul Islam Manju at the programme held at the Shaheed Altaf Auditorium of the Nagar Bhaban.
Caritas Khulna Region organised the programme under its Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR & CCA) project in collaboration with KCC.
The strategy has been formulated to address the growing challenges faced by climate-displaced and migrant communities in Khulna city through coordinated, inclusive and sustainable initiatives.
The Institute of Disaster Management (IDM) of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) and Caritas Bangladesh jointly prepared the strategy.
The government agencies, educational institutions, development partners, NGOs, civil society, media and community-based networks actively participated in the formulation process and provided their views and inputs.
Speakers at the programme said the strategy would serve as an important guideline for KCC’s future urban planning, service delivery, coordination, and policy and programme formulation concerning climate-displaced communities.
KCC Chief Executive Officer Rajib Ahmed highlighted the corporation’s role in integrating climate-displaced communities into urban services and development activities.
KUET IDM Assistant Professor Dr Mohammad Ismail Hossain outlined the process of preparing the climate migration strategy, including its different stages and the collection of stakeholder consultations, information and evidence.
KCC Chief Planning Officer Abir-ul-Jabbar discussed the objectives and relevance of the strategy in relation to the corporation’s planning framework, while Caritas Khulna Regional Director Albino Nath highlighted Caritas Bangladesh’s commitment to supporting climate-vulnerable and displaced communities.
Representatives from UNICEF, ADAMS, ADB, World Vision, Nabolok, JJS, BRAC, Rupantar, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, Uttaran and Shushilan, among other government and non-government organisations, as well as KCC ward officials, attended the programme.
