Advocacy with key stakeholders are very important if we want policy changes and effective use of policies. During the visit of Displacement solution’s representative Mr. Ezekiel Simperingham to Bangladesh, YPSA tried to accelerate this advocacy process to sensitize the policy makers about the overarching impacts of climate change in Bangladesh, which lead to displacement of huge no. of people from different vulnerable location of Bangladesh. During this time YPSA HLP team had the opportunity to meet few influential policy makers from different political parties and district level administration of Chittagong.
We met Mr. Md. Solaiman seth, Presidium Member-Jatiya Party and President-Jatiya Part, Chittagong on 24th August’13; Mrs. Hasina Mannan, Member of Parliament-348 Women Seat-48 and Member of Standing Committee on Ministry of Water Resources Bangladesh Parliament on 27th August’13; Mr. Al-Haj Jafrul Islam Chowdhury MP, 292 Chittagong-15, Bangladesh Parliament on 27th August’13 and Mr. Sanaul Huq, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Chittagong on 27th August’13.
Everyone express their concern on multifaceted climate change effects on people’s life and livelihood, national economy and national development as a whole. Coastal and river sided areas are worst effected regions in the country. They had experience the distressed condition of people; people lost all their belongings and most of the time these landless families are forced to live on the embankment or permanently switch to some other places. They also emphasis that proper steps needs to be taken to reduce displacements and side by side rehabilitation activities need to be undertaken. Proper monitoring of policy implementation and mass awareness on displacement issue will help these displaced communities to get justice. They also put light on mass awareness among climate displaced about their rights and climate change impacts. Besides, coordinated and positive efforts from government, civil society and effected communities on the rights of the climate displaced are must to ensure their rights.
