Bangladesh Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Rights Initiative

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Background

Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Bangladesh has ranked fifth among 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change-induced natural disasters in the last two decades from 1993 to 2014. , Bangladesh suffers from regular natural hazards, including floods, tropical cyclones, storm surges and droughts. These hazards are already leading to the loss and destruction of housing, land and property, the loss of livelihoods and widespread displacement across the country. Natural hazards across the country are already leading to the forced displacement of millions of Bangladeshis and this number is set to multiply as the effects of climate change increase the severity and frequency of these natural hazards. Many of these individuals have lost their houses and lands to climatic hazards and have no ability nor received any support or assistance to access new homes or new lands. According to the report of ‘Trend and Impact Analysis of Internal Displacement 2014’ by CDMP under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief of Bangladesh, about 46% people temporarily displaced and about 12% people permanently displaced due to different hazards  in four climate hotspots of Bangladesh.

The Government of Bangladesh is well aware of this looming crisis, claiming that 20 million people could be displaced in Bangladesh by sea level rise alone over the next 40 years. But there is no comprehensive national policy in Bangladesh that specifically targets climate displacement. Resettlement for the displaced peoples should be a last resort in climate change adaptation, but the reality is that it is already occurring in some countries and this trend is likely to intensify. The climate-induced migrants are often discriminated and face different problems during or after the displacement. In many cases, the policies and institutional frameworks are not sufficient to protect the displaced people. However, through a combination of lack of political will as well as a lack of financial and technical resources, there are currently no comprehensive mechanisms to provide support to people who have lost their homes, land and property as a result of climate change to rebuild their lives. All persons displaced by climate change in Bangladesh are rights-holders and are entitled to respect and protection of the full range of their human rights under national and international law.

YPSA, with the support of Displacement Solutions (DS), has been implementing the “Bangladesh Housing, Land and Property Rights Initiative” to raise the profile of the climate displacement issue in the country since 2011. Through the Initiative, YPSA has developed an in-depth understanding on climate forced displacement including fact-finding and research visits to vulnerable hotspots of climate forced displacement and advocacy campaign with local, regional and national government officials on the need to respond to climate displacement in a rights-based framework.

In 2016, the Initiative carried out a pilot project under the name ‘One House, One Family at a time’. Rehabilitated four displaced families from Sandwip Island provided durable shelters with land title and ensured livelihood, drinking water facilities and other necessary support for living in the sustainable life in the new place. YPSA also procured, in 2018, more land plots to relocate five more families from Sandwip Island to Sitakund upazila and started process to construct the houses for the selected families. YPSA also experienced in rehabilitation program after different disasters with emergency Shelter Kits for repairing 2000 families’ houses and construction of tin-shed new houses for 89 families and constructed 50 resilience shelters for the cyclone affected people in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar.

Objectives of the Project:

To identify and implement rights-based solutions and actions to resolve climate displacement across the country as well as to ensure and safeguard housing, land and property rights for climate displaced persons

Duration of Project : Started on 01 January 2011 to till date.

Area Coverage        : Whole Bangladesh

Name of Donor       : DISPLACEMENT SOLUTIONS (DS)

Major Activities of the Project

1) Advocacy and Awareness Raising for Solutions of Climate Displacement in Bangladesh

• Round Table Discussion on rights of climate displaced persons in Bangladesh
• Large Scale Media campaign and writing features by journalist through visiting climate affected hotspot
• Development and printing of 5 points advocacy plan (IEC Materials)
• Meeting with the local govt. and central govt. officials
• Meetings with climate affected communities and local civil society organizations
• Sensitized Print, Electronic and online Media on Climate Displacement issue and published as well as broadcaster different news, articles and feature of climate change induced displacement issues
• Meeting with different political parties to include the protection of the rights of climate displaced persons as key elements of their political manifestos
• Meeting with MPs from climate-affected communities across Bangladesh
• Meeting with legal groups and lawyers associations in Bangladesh to raise awareness of climate displacement
• Comprehensive training on international legal issues related to climate displacement in Bangladesh (to be conducted by DS)
• Translation and printing of Booklet on Rights of Climate Displaced Persons
• Hosting Mr. Ezekiel Simperingham (Focal person of Bangladesh HLP Rights Initiative)

2) Continued support to the ‘Lawyers Initiative for Displacement Solutions (LIDS)’ a forum of Lawyers to undertake lobbying on effective legislative and policy change for climate displaced persons

• Formation of Lawyer’s forum
• Professional translation, publication and distribution of Pocket Guide “ Rights of Climate Displaced Persons”
• Professional translation, publication and distribution of ‘Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement within States’ report
• Meeting with Lawyers group to accelerate the group functions
• Support to launching of Lawyers Initiative for Displacement Solutions (LIDS )in formal way
• Capacity building of lawyers on Climate displacement issue

3) Land Acquisition for Climate Displaced Persons

Develop and published short guidance note “Access to Khas land for Climate Displaced Persons in Bangladesh”

4) Climate Displacement in Bangladesh Mapping Study Report

• Workshop with NGOs/Civil Societies, Academicians and Govt./local govt. officials
• Key Informant Interview and FGD with relevant stakeholders
• Communication with relevant stakeholders for profiling
• Published and launching of Mapping Study report “Climate Displacement in Bangladesh: Stakeholders, Laws and Policies – Mapping the Existing Institutional Framework”

5) Case study documentation as well as best practices on rehabilitated people through existing government and non-government rehabilitation scheme in Bangladesh as well as Char Development and Settlement Program (CDSP)

• Conduct Interview with Important Govt and Non Govt Officials and visit different places of rehabilitation centre of Govt and Non Govt. Initiative and also CDSP program

6) Note on Land Parcel for land based solutions of Climate displacement in Bangladesh

7) Translation, publication and distribution of DS Publication “Climate Displacement in Bangladesh” Report

8) Three studies that examine in detail the true picture of land availability in Bangladesh for climate displaced persons as well as the potential durability of future resettlement

• Identified and selected Researchers for three studies
• Methodology and Tools developed of three studies
• Inception report on three studies submitted to DS
• Staff Orientation/workshop on Study Methodology and tools held
• Documents are reviewed for three relevant studies
• Field activities of study like interview, FGD, KII is completed
• Seven Event Workshop held in Sirajgonj, Khulna, Satkhira, Chandpur, Feni, Cox’s bazar and Rangamati under study component
• Prepared and submitted three final study reports to Displacement Solutions [“land availability in Bangladesh (Study 1)”, “land acquisition for climate displaced communities (study 2)” and “the viability of CHT as destination of climate displaced communities (study 3)”] after incorporating all comments and feedback from DS.

9) Lobbying and Advocacy to raise the Political Profile of Climate Displacement and for Land Allocation to Climate Displaced Communities

• IEC materials (Posters, Stickers, folders) focusing of the rights of Climate Displaced people developed and disseminating
• Ten “Advocacy Meeting with NGOs and Civil Society” held in Bogra, Kurigram, Khulna, Satkhira,  Sirajgonj, Shariatpur, Rajbari, Chandpur, Laksmipur and Noakhali.
• Five “District level Advocacy Meeting” held in Jessore, Sirajgonj, Feni, Comilla and Chittagong
• One event of “National Level Advocacy Workshop” held in Chittagong
• Large number “one to one meeting” held with govt. high official in Khulna, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur and  Cox’s Bazar on behalf of Climate Displaced people

10) Coastal Kids Project

• Art, Essay and debate competition on Climate Change issues
• Support photo competition and distribute T-Shirt to Students
• Skype Conversation with International Students about the Climate Change fact

11) Relocation of Climate Displaced Households (One House One Family Program)

• Discussion with community people and relevant stakeholders for possible relocation strategies of displaced households
• Vulnerable area selection to identify the most living places of climate displaced families through pre-situation analysis
• Need assessment survey for selection of climate displaced families for possible relocation
• Land purchase and registration for relocation program at Sitakund upazila
• Land Development and Housing Construction
• Resettlement of four climate displaced families of Sandwip to Sitakund upazila
• Livelihood security and drinking water services for rehabilitated four families
• Planned for resettlement of five climate displaced households of Sandwip to Sitakund
• Purchase of suitable land and registration process completed
• Land development with housing construction completed

Additional Activities

• Face book group page on Bangladesh Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Rights Initiative
• Rapid need assessment of flood victim and temporarily displaced people
• Dissemination of DS publications to the media and policy makers (Photo story of the DS by Kadir and Climate Displacement in Bangladesh “The Need for Urgent Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Rights Solutions”)
• Regularly observed World Environment Day, International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction, National Disaster Preparedness Day
• Participated in Climate Fair in Chittagong, as well National level different advocacy and research workshop/seminar in relation to Climate Change and Displacement issues.
• Video documentation on One House One Family program prepared broadcasted in international workshop/seminar

Major result of Bangladesh HLP Rights Initiative so far

• Established communications between Kids of Bangladesh and Australia to work with Climate Change issue
• Published three study report [Land Availability for Climate Displaced Communities, Land Acquisition for Climate Displaced Communities and the Viability of CHT as a destination for Climate Displaced Communities for first ever time in Bangladesh] in the book of ‘Land Solutions for Climate Displacement’ by Routledge
• Published the 5 point Advocacy action points  in English and Bangla version and distributed large no of stakeholders
•  Published and distributed Bengali version of DS Publication ‘Climate Displacement in Bangladesh: urgent need for housing, rights and properties initiatives’
• Published and distributed Bengali version of first global policy for rights of climate displaced persons” Peninsula Principals on Climate Displacement Within States”
• Published and launched of Mapping Study report “Climate Displacement in Bangladesh: Stakeholders, Laws and Policies – Mapping the Existing Institutional Framework”
• Published the Guidance Note “ New Land for Climate Displaced Persons in Bangladesh” both in Bengali and English version
• Published the Pocket Book on “The Rights of Climate Displaced Persons, a quick guide” both in Bengali and English version
• GO, NGOs and civil society are starting to think about the issue of climate displacement and the rights of displaced people
• Media are using term of displacement in their report

Future Planning for Relocation of Climate Displaced People

YPSA will be starting OHOF’s third phase with the support of Displacement Solution will in 2020 with the aim of constructing a further 12 homes, culminating in a total of 20 homes by the end of next year. With an average of five or six people per house, OHOF will have provided permanent new homes to more than 100 people by the end of 2020. Virtually all of the funds raised for OHOF do not come from traditional donors, but rather come from ordinary people throughout the world who want to be part of solving climate displacement. OHOF works by raising funds for each home from the general public. DS guarantees that 100% of all OHOF contributions are sent to Bangladesh. DS coordinates OHOF but takes no funds for the project and manages it entirely on a pro bono basis.

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