BARCIK’s dialogue in Satkhira

Coastal districts should be given special importance in assessing loss and damage caused by climate change. At the same time, climate refugees should also be given priority in climate fund spending. For this, in the upcoming COP-28 conference, maximum efforts should be made to collect appropriate compensation from the countries responsible for climate change.

Speakers made this demand at the civil dialogue titled 'Climate crisis and justice in coastal areas' organized by the research institute Bangladesh Resource Center for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK) on Saturday (25 November) at Mangrove Hallroom in Satkhira City.

Speakers highlighted the losses and damages caused by climate change and said that natural disasters have increased in coastal areas due to climate change. As a result of frequent river erosion due to natural disasters, people are becoming destitute due to the loss of habitat-vital resources. Salinity is spreading in coastal areas. Depletion of freshwater sources has led to an acute shortage of drinking water. The reproductive health of coastal women is threatened due to use of Saline water. Marty's fertility is waning. Agricultural production is decreasing. Biodiversity is under threat. Malnutrition is increasing due to food shortages in coastal areas. Child marriage and dropout rates have increased manifold. Child labor has increased. Women's ability to conceive is decreasing and divorce is increasing. People are forced to leave the area due to lack of employment.

Speakers said that although there is a Ministry of Climate Change, the coast's people are not benefiting from it. They are trying to survive with their own strength and knowledge. But repeatedly displaced by natural disasters and forced to take shelter in the slums of the city. There is a need to increase their capacity to deal with disaster risk. If not, the number of climate refugees in Satkhira region will continue to increase.

President of Satkhira Zilla Nagorik Committee Adv. Azad Hossen Belal presided over the dialogue. 

Educationalist Professor Abdul Hamid, Professor SAM Abdul Wahed, Member Secretary of Satkhira Zilla Nagorik Committee Abul Kalam Azad, environment activist Principal Asek-e-Elahi, politician Ali Noor Khan Babul, development activist Madhab Chandra Dutto, Harmony artist Abu Affan Rose Babu, cultural activist Mosfiqur Rahman Milton, Member of Education, Culture and Diversity Protection Team Musfiqur Rahman, President of Prothom alo Bondhu Shava Karna Biswas Kedi, President of Satkhira Botanical society Tarik Islam, and Assistant Program Officer of BARCIK Gazi Mahida Mizan, among others, spoke.