One of the world’s lowest-lying countries invited international experts to discuss the security challenges related to climate change.
The Dhaka Global Dialogue (11-13 November 2019) brought together stakeholders from across the Indo-Pacific Region to discuss the shared challenges they face. Co-hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India and the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), the conference raised issues such as growth and development in the Indo-Pacific and the link between climate security and migration.
As Dhanasree Jayaram noted in her recent South Asia risk brief for the Climate Security Expert Network, extreme weather events and sea level rise are driving irregular migration in the region, especially from rural to urban areas. Dhaka for example, is the most densely populated city and the world and receives up to 400,000 low-income migrants every year. This has the potential to exacerbate urban inequalities, competition for urban resources and services, and tensions between local authorities and urban slum dwellers.
Beatrice Mosello of adelphi took part in the climate security and migration panel discussion along with Md. Shahidul Haque, senior secretary from the Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina gave the opening address, underscoring how seriously the low-lying country takes international cooperation on climate-related issues.
Dr. Mosello also moderated a panel on “Ecofeminism: Engendering Green Transitions”, an often overlooked topic – women are the primary energy managers in households across the region’s developing countries and are thus the main agents of change in the transition to sustainable energy.
Community-driven climate action can achieve climate security in South Asia
With global climate action stagnating, sustained community-driven initiatives can fill the governance gap and also help mitigate climate-related security risks in South Asia.
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Women in the region suffer disproportionately from climate impacts, but they also play an essential role in addressing climate change. With the right policy responses, it is possible to reduce security risks and empower women to better address the challenges they face.