Factors of Climate Migration of Poor Slum Dwellers in Dhaka City

Year 2021, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 273 - 288, 15.07.2021

Karisma Amjad

Abstract

Bangladesh is in a vulnerable situation for climate change. This study examines the factors of the climate migration of urban poor slum dwellers in Bangladesh. The study was conducted at two slums in Dhaka city with a purposive sample survey, KII, and in-depth qualitative interview of selected climate migrant slum dwellers with the purposive sample size of 150. This study identified river erosion, cyclone, flooding, drought, and no agricultural work available during the off-season (Monga period) main environmental reasons of migration. It is found, inherent factors behind climate migration are mainly driven by economic and social factors i.e., unemployment, poverty, political, religious, and cultural conflicts, etc. In the migration process, the push factors are more active than pull factors. Poverty and unemployment pushed the poor villagers who were affected by any kind of climate change to move their residence to the cities. After the migration majority of the migrants struggle to survive and try to improve their livelihoods in the city slum. Even though poor migrants have contributed a lot to social and economic development, they still have to stay excluded from proper nutrition, housing, education, and sanitation. Planned migration, availability of work and social care services is suggested through this paper to reduce of further poverty urban poor.

Keywords

Climate change, Climate migrants, Slum dwellers, Factors, Dhaka City

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