Published on: 18/11/2013

Bhola, the island district of Bangladesh, was of 6400 skm in area in 1960s. 3000
skm of it have been inundated in the last 40 years only. The renowned growth centres like Old Daulat Khan, Mirja Kalu, Molong Chora, Swarajganj, Choumuhony, Taju Miar Hat etc are totally submerged to the sea. Now also any one of the localities is being eroded. If this rate of erosion continues entire Bhola would be lost within the next 40 years.

Magnus Krantz coduct a field based research on `COASTAL EROSION ON THE ISLAND OF BHOLA, BANGLADESH ‘The results show that the erosion has been big, 68.4 meters/year or 4.3 km2 over 5 years. The accretion has been 20.9 km2 during the same period. The erosion occurs on the East Side of the Island of Bhola, and the accretion on the West Side and up in the north. This phenomenon depends on the current conditions around the island of Bhola. People living by the embankment have had to move between 2 to 4 times during a period of 20 to 30 years due to the erosion. Many of these people have been landless, and are now living illegal by the embankment in serfdom. some 500,000 people move to the capital, Dhaka, from coastal Island bhola.

In this regards environmental based rights group Demand for the rights of environmental refugee. UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, does not recognise climate or environment refugees, as they are not listed under the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention. Now some experts suggest the Convention should be amended to allow for environmental displacement.see details