More than 3 million displaced people will increase in Dhaka due to climate change
It is now widely recognized that climate change will have a negative impact on the coastal region of Bangladesh. And a major blow of this impact will hit the already overpopulated capital city of Dhaka. According to a study cited by Bloomberg, the US media has reported this information.
Bloomberg City Lab research indicates that climate change will significantly alter the demographics of the world’s most vulnerable countries. Because environmental and meteorological extreme events will force the local population to move from their areas to crowded cities.
A report by C40 Cities Coalition and the Mayors’ Migration Council predicts that by 2050, climate change-related flooding will force an additional 3.1 million people to seek refuge in Dhaka, Bangladesh. According to the report, currently the population of Dhaka is more than 12 million.
In addition, it is feared that due to climate change, about 600,000 people in the Latin American country of Colombia will be internally displaced and all of them will settle in the country’s capital Bogota. However, all the city’s current 8 million residents suffer from severe drinking water shortages.
The report focuses on climate migration in several regions of the world. The study focused specifically on the Global South. Where climate change impacts are projected to be greatest.
By mid-century, the 10 fastest-growing megacities in Africa, South America, South Asia, and the Middle East may gain 8 million internal migrants unless global carbon emissions are cut significantly.
Claudia Huerta, senior immigration campaign manager for C-40 Cities, said people want to move to cities that offer opportunities, housing, and social connections without the need to go abroad.
The report states that increased population in cities will pressure local services and speed up uncontrolled urbanization.
These cities will face climate challenges as incoming migrants settle in vulnerable areas. Because of this, cities are likely to become more vulnerable.
The report states that limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as outlined in the Paris Agreement, could significantly reduce the negative impacts of climate change migrants in cities.
But if carbon emissions aren’t met by the Paris Agreement, the number of internal climate migrants in Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Karachi could triple.
According to the study, significant progress is still missing in reducing carbon emissions. According to the report, several cities are already preparing to cope with the population shock.
Among them, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Jordan are notable. A city experienced in hosting millions of Middle Eastern refugees is developing green spaces and educational programs for young newcomers.
Bangladeshi officials are hoping to reduce additional pressure on the capital by moving all the internally displaced to neighboring migrant-friendly cities rather than taking them to Dhaka city.
The burden should not be placed solely on cities, researchers say. They urged the national government and the private sector to play their role in reducing climate risks.
