Migration and Climate Change: A case of Bangladesh - Essay Example

Geography Migration and Climate Change: A case of Bangladesh Human migration in Bangladesh arises from climate changes and theadoption of a sound strategy is unequivocal. Situated in the southern part of Asia, Bangladesh emerges as one of the most densely populated state in the world, with a population count exceeding 160 million people. The nation has continuously been predicted to follow the Malthus theory that suggests that an increase in population has the effect of outstripping the yields of crops, mass hunger provocation and eventually, social breakdown. Contrary to the predictions, Bangladesh has experienced trivial instances of malnutrition and poverty due to the self-sufficient production of its staple foods, wheat and rice (Newman, “Will Climate Change Spark Conflict in Bangladesh?”). To that end, overpopulation is not a matter of concern to the Bangladeshis. Changes in climate involving chaotic storms, droughts and ever-increasing sea levels have turned the nation into the most vulnerable country to climate changes. These factors are stealing away the land of the larger population that lives in the coastal regions, such as Dakope. In addition, the largest delta in the, Ganges Delta, that empties much of the Himalayas water has shown the signs erosion. Here, palm trees grow out of the rivers, fields full of salt particles and many brick foundations laced into halves (“Will Climate Change Spark Conflict in Bangladesh?”). Practically, the land occupied by water was once dry and people lived on it. The rise in the sea levels prompts people to migrate to other places in the country and even abroad with an intention of finding better settlement. Greenhouse gases emissions and rising temperatures are the major cause of climate changes. Reports asserts that Bangladesh only contributes 0.3 percent of the emissions and yet it is the most hit as regarding to climate changes. Other environmental degradations spring from the tragedy encountered in Bangladesh. The Bangladeshis depend merely on the ground water since most of the rivers in the nation are polluted, a move that is per se right. The result of excessive pumping of water from the ground is that the land settles sinks. Floods are a common feature in this nation since as sea levels rise, the land level is also sinking. Besides, the sea walls are constructed poorly, a factor that increases the risk of flooding. The frequent cyclones experienced in the neighboring Bay of Bengal are detrimental to the environment conditions of Bangladesh (Harris, “Borrowed Time on Disappearing Land”). As a mechanism of coping with these adverse climate conditions, the people migrate to the nation’s capital, Dhaka and to India, as well. Migration results from various multifarious factors. Owing to the fear of being killed by natural events like floods, the people in the villages that are lying low in the Bay of Bengal delta have migrated to the country’s capital, Dhaka. People migrate to find better shelters where they are safe from floods and cyclones, which are rampant in the low-lying areas. Besides, the rise in urbanization experienced throughout South Asia has prompted people to migrate to Dhaka (Harris, “Borrowed Time on Disappearing Land”). Often, people move from rural areas to urban centers for better work opportunities. In Bangladesh, the abbreviation of the farming land in rural areas hit by the climate changes adversities reduces the farming output of the inhabitants and hence it is feasible to migrate to urban centers with viable job opportunities. India is also a destination for the climate immigrants due to its proximity (“Borrowed Time on Disappearing Land”). Despite the diversity in the factors that give rise to migration, climate changes emerge top in Bangladesh. The heightened migration within the country has led to a yet another crisis. Dhaka has experienced profuse populations brought about by the migration of people from various low-lying areas. Statistically, Dhaka has one of the fastest population growth rates in Asia, 400,000 each year. Within a matter of a few years, the capital now holds fifteen million people up from four million. The capital’s population is expected to increase by twenty five million by 2050, despite its rank as the second city that is uninhabitable in the world because of the grievous overcrowding (Newman, “Will Climate Change Spark Conflict in Bangladesh?”). Intrinsically, the city’s accommodation of migrants surpasses its ability, and this has given rise to the institution of slums in the capital. Some of the slums’ construction is in areas that are low lying, which are vulnerable to inundation as well. Government intervention is crucial in planning for anticipated climate changes. The government of Bangladesh, in 2009, devised a climate changes strategy to mitigate the effects of climate changes on its Bangladeshis. The strategy is essentially a system of warning before the climate adversities set in. The government has constructed over 2,500 permanent shelters, which are made of concrete (Harris, “Borrowed time on Disappearing Land”). The result of such initiatives is the tremendous reduction in the number of deaths caused by storms and hence reduced migration. Besides, the strategy, through the solving of instabilities caused by climate changes, will reduce chances of the nation experiencing any conflict, in general. However, the plan has not received the required funds, as promised by rich nations, to execute the plan effectively. In addition, the initiatives taken by the government are exacerbating the situation. For instance, pumping of water, dredging of canals, and rising of levees have the effect of sinking the ground level in the long turn. Measures that are more feasible ought to be taken to correct the situation. Other countries have aided to unravel the issue. The millions of people displaced hold their prospects in Dhaka, the capital. However, the alarming population levels in the capitals are detrimental to the fulfillment of the climate migrants. The migrants are rather opting for abroad destinations. India, through Narendra Modi, the recently elected prime minister, formally accepted the migration of climate migrants from Bangladesh into India. Even so, he placed a condition on the migrants to be permitted into India; they must be Hindu (Newman, “Will Climate Change Spark Conflict in Bangladesh?”). Inferentially, the India’s culture of discriminating against Muslims is detrimental to the Muslim climate migrants. Given that, the larger scope of the problem necessitates a global solution as opposed to a single government’s solution. Global justice is necessary. A deduction from the statics conducted proposes that Bangladesh contributes a very insignificant amount of greenhouse gases emission attributed to the changes in climate. Instead, wealthy countries greatly contribute to the emissions because they have the resources for industrialization. It is only fair for the wealth countries to be responsible for their actions. The climate migrants need the right to move to any country of their choice provided it contributed to the emissions that affect the Bangladeshis. The governments of wealthy nations ought to work hand in hand with the Bangladesh’s government in order to eliminate the immigration restrictions. Besides, the wealthy nations have the obligation to compensate poor countries like Bangladesh for the environmental pollutions they commit to a point of rendering Bangladeshis homeless, albeit indirectly. This solution is solvable by issuing the funds to the Bangladesh’s government as they often pledge rather than mere promises. Alternatively, the government officials of these wealth nations should actively take part in efforts of solving the tragedy in Bangladesh. This is workable by helping in during the devising of plans with an aim of including only effective strategies in the plan that will be beneficial even in the end. Most eminently, the greatest contributors to climate changes should shrink their emissions for the well-being of all and in the long run. By so doing, the funds committed to correcting the situation rather than preventing it can be used on other important projects. Conclusion Human migration in Bangladesh is a result of climate changes and the implementation of a sound strategy is essential. Despite the nation’s contribution to greenhouse gases emission being trivial, the geographical location of Bangladesh makes it more prone to adversities of climate changes. In addition, the population’s exclusive reliance on ground water poses the risk of the ground settling, a contributing factor to floods. The resulting climate changes, together with urbanization, have prompted people to over-crowd in the nation’s capital, Dhaka. The government’s efforts to correct the situation have been inadequate and, in some instances, unfitting. It is suggested that the rich nations, which almost exclusively contribute to the emissions, open borders for the climate migrants and also, actively participate, in terms of funding and formulating the plans, in solving the problem. Until the wealth nations take responsibility for their actions, all the other poor countries will follow the path of Bangladesh. Graphics Figure 1: V-shape of the Bay of Bengal (Amrith, “The Bay of Bengal, In Peril from Climate Change”) Bangladesh is bordered by India on the three sides, and the Bay of Bengal on the fourth side. Apart from the climate changes, the V-shape of the Bay of Bengal directs cyclones directly to the coastline of Bangladesh. This worsens the flooding in the low-lying areas and hence the migrations of people to Dhaka and India. Figure 2: Elevation Map (Rhodhe, “Bangladesh Sea level Risks) Climatic changes induce extreme weather conditions in the short term and in the long term, the sea level rises. The proximity of Bangladesh to the sea makes it to be worst hit by the climate changes as most of its land is covered by water with the increase in sea levels. This has prompted people to migrate from the coastal regions, which are low-lying where floods are rampant, to India and the nation’s capital, Dhaka. Works Cited Amrith, Sunil. The Bay of Bengal, In Peril from Climate Change . The Himalayan Voice, 14 October 2013. Web. 7 August 2014. Harris, Gardiner. ‘Borrowed Time on Disappearing Land: Facing Rising Seas, Bangladesh Confronts the Consequences of Climate Change’. The New York Times, 28 March 2014. Web. 7 August 2014. Newman, Sophia. ‘Will Climate Change Spark Conflict in Bangladesh?’ The Diplomat, 21 June 2014. Web. 7 August 2014. Rodhe, Robert. ‘Bangladesh Sea Level Risks’. Public data domain set, December 2010. Web. 7 August 2014. Read More