A new phenomenon called “climate refugees” arises in the global arena. The person who is displaced by climatically induced environmental disasters generally called a climate refugee. Incremental and rapid ecological change, resulting in increased droughts, desertification, sea level rise, and the more frequent occurrence of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, cyclones, fires, mass flooding and tornadoes are the reasons of such disasters and these are responsible for mass global migration and border conflicts. As a result it becomes one of the most talked about topics in the world in the present time.
Different terms have been used to refer to the future victims of climate change, like “environmental refugees”, “environmental migrants” or “environmentally displaced persons”. Mostly these people can be defined as: People who have to leave their habitats, immediately or in the near future, because of sudden or gradual alterations in their natural environment related to at least one of three impacts of climate change: sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and drought and water scarcity.
There are three classes of climate refugees determined by the International Organisation for Migration, those are:
Emergency climate refugees: People who flee temporarily due to an environmental disaster or sudden environmental event. (Example: someone forced to leave due to hurricane, tsunami, earthquake, etc.)
Forced climate refugees: people who have to leave due to deteriorating environmental conditions. (Example: someone forced to leave due to a slow deterioration of their environment such as deforestation, coastal deterioration, etc.)
Motivated climate refugees: People who choose to avoid possible future problems. (Example: someone who leave due to declining crop productivity caused by desertification)
Bangladesh is one of the 10 countries worldwide with the highest percentage of population living in low-lying coastal zones. Currently approximately 65,500,000 people live in an area of 54,461 square kilometers known as the Low Elevation Coastal Zone (LECZ) which comprises the coastal region within 10 metres above sea level. Loss of coastal land to the sea in these vulnerable zones – currently predicted to reach up to three percent by the 2030s, six percent in the 2050s and 13 percent by 2080 – is likely to generate a steady flow of displaced people.
Bangladesh, for its geographical location and geomorphologic conditions, is one of the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change particularly to sea level rise, and the poorest people are the main victims for having the least capacities to adapt. Bangladesh only meagerly contributes to carbon emissions but has to pay a very high price. Year by year, millions of people suffer from cyclones, tidal surges, floods, water loggings, saltwater intrusions, river bank erosion, etc.
Analyzing available data on population displacement, it has been found that 39 million people in Bangladesh were displaced by major natural events like flood and cyclone over 40 years (1970-2009). At the same time about 48 percent of the total population fully depend on agriculture and are at risk to lose their livelihoods due to climate induced disaster.
Now it is necessary to develop a legal framework to formally protect climate refugees in the future, opening up communication among normally defensive stakeholders. Additionally, building adaptive capacity continues to be a key strategy alongside broader climate change goals.  In essence, the issue requires a ‘plan for the worst, hope for the best’ attitude. While currently hidden between the lines of climate change policies, the issue of climate change refugees will become more prominent.

The writer is an advocate. E-mail: [email protected]