Assessment of the Status of Gender Sensitive Migration in Climate Change Adaptation Policies of Bangladesh

Citation:

Jahan, I., and M. I. Haq. 2019. "Assessment of the Status of Gender Sensitive Migration in Climate Change Adaptation Policies of Bangladesh." Paper presented at American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, December 9-13.

Authors: I. Jahan, M. I. Haq

Abstract:

Female groups of the society are always differently vulnerable to any climatic extreme condition. Climate Change induced migration and vulnerability of women in such migration are drawing attention now-a-days. Women are facing trouble of malnutrition, economic uncertainty, having no or less health care services, domestic violence and trafficking while migrating by themselves or the male member of their family. It is needed to assess that how effectively existing national policies of Bangladesh have addressed this problem. From the of policy documents found that migration is not addressed as an effective adaptation option. Policies are not developed according to needs of the females living in climate vulnerable zones. Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) 2009 merely mention migration as an adaption option but it lacks the gender dimension and further clarification. Bangladesh Climate Change Gender Action Plan (Bcc-GAP) 2013 is the only document fully concentrated in this regard. Migration of the male population focused in the Gender Action Plan, and it seems women were assumed to stay back and adapt to the climate change circumstances and work on mitigating risks. None of the following policies i.e. Environment Policy, 1992; National Environment Management and Action Plan (NEMAP), 1995; National Water Management Plan (NWMP), 2001; The National Food Policy, 2006; Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) 2009 address gender issue from climate change migration perspective. The Coastal Zone Policy, 2005; Perspective Plan of Bangladesh 2010-2021; Sixth Five Year Plan (2011-15); National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA), 2009; National Plan for Disaster Management (2010-2015) focus on the gender issue from education, health, employment, poverty reduction and disaster management perspective. But the gender sensitive migration due to climate change has been overlooked there. The policies basically focus on international migration and migration due to economic reasons, and the issue was not addressed as a climate change adaptation option in any of the policies. Migration as a climate change adaptation needs to be mainstreamed in all sectoral policies and gender sensitive migration should be emphasized.

Topics: Displacement & Migration, Climate Displacement, Economies, Poverty, Domestic Violence, Environment, Climate Change, Gender, Governance, Livelihoods, Trafficking Regions: Asia, South Asia Countries: Bangladesh

Year: 2019