Climate change becomes threat to urban livelihood
BSS
RAJSHAHI: Climate change is becoming a threat to the urban environment and development and livelihood as well the uncertainty that arises due to climate change needs to be considered in the overall urban risk management framework, said speakers at a discussion, reports BSS.
They said all the vulnerability issues need to be brought under comprehensive risk based master plan to accommodate at least 30 per cent more people from vulnerable rural areas around these cities only due to climate change.
The observations came at an inaugural session of a two-day training workshop on Stakeholder Orientation for skills Training. GIZ under its Urban Management of International Migration due to Climate Change Project organized the workshop at the conference hall of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC).
Mayor-in-Charge of RCC Nizam-ul Azim and its Panel Mayor Tahera Begum and Councilors Monsur Rahman, spoke on the occasion.
Nizam-Ul Azim mentioned that the rural poor people with their recurrent disaster exposures are migrating into urban areas. These new comers face a high employment crisis in city and with very poor-quality housing and other well-being further tapping them into a deeper urban poverty cycle. The urban poverty is highly linked with rural disaster risks.
The urbanisation situation, particularly the housing situation in the city is getting more acute with every passing year.
Government efforts to mitigate the problem in the past have been far from adequate and have been confined to areas in and around metropolitan cities. Natural disasters are occurring more frequently as the adverse effects of climate change effects are getting more pronounced worldwide and in Bangladesh.
Disaster and climate-change impacts have deeper relationship with urban poverty in Bangladesh. So, this is the high time for proper documentation on climate change resilience initiative and strategy development, she added.Mayor Azim says the city corporation is working hard to improve the socio-economic conditions of people and has taken a number of steps to face the adverse effects of natural calamities with a view to reducing the sufferings of the affected people.
