Displacement Solutions and our partners Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) have been working since 2011 to find innovative rights-based solutions to climate displacement in Bangladesh.
Some of the recent highlights of the Bangladesh HLP Initiative include:
Solving Climate displacement in bangladesh – One house, one family at a time
Displacement Solutions’ One House, One Family at a Time Project in Bangladesh has gotten off to a great start in 2016 with a generous donation by the Dutch NGO Stichting FortUna which has been matched by DS. Together these funds will provide rights-based land and housing solutions for two climate-displaced families (12 persons) in South-Eastern Bangladesh.
The One House at a Time Project is administered by DS and implemented by our partners YPSA. After careful research, and building on YPSA’s decades of experience working with the most vulnerable communities in Bangladesh, the project aims to assist particularly disadvantaged climate displaced families near Chittagong to find new land and housing solutions which will allow them to start life anew.
USD 8,400- is all it takes to provide access to land, a new home with solar energy, and permanent access to clean water.
Partial funds for a third house are already in place, with funds currently reaching USD 1700- thanks to the initiative of Dutch Photographer Nelke van Dijk who is working to fund a third house through the sales of her latest book Water Imagined. Nelke’s extraordinary work can be viewed here. We can guarantee you that you will never be able to look at water in the same way again once you’ve seen Nelke’s amazing photos!
Join us on this exciting new project and work with us to repair climate displacement one house and one family at a time in the country most at threat from climate change, Bangladesh. Every contribution helps!
A short flyer on the project can be accessed here.
If you would like to join our efforts to help solve climate displacement in Bangladesh or would like any additional information about the One Family, One House at a Time project, please contact Scott Leckie, the Director of Displacement Solutions: scott@displacementsolutions.org and he will answer any questions you may have about the project.
SUPPORT TO BANGLADESHI LAWYERS TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF CLIMATE DISPLACED PERSONS
On 30 December 2015, The Chittagong Bar Association formally launched the “Lawyers Initiative for Displacement Solutions” (LIDS) with the support of DS and the Bangladesh HLP Initiative.

LIDS is committed to enhancing the knowledge of climate displacement among the legal profession in Bangladesh. LIDS also intends to advocate for more effective laws and policy to protect the rights of climate displaced persons in Bangladesh. LIDS has already began advocating for better access to legal aid for climate displaced persons. Finally, LIDS is investigating the possibility of strategic (public interest) litigation on behalf of climate displaced persons under the Constitution of Bangladesh.

DS strongly believes that the legal profession has a vital and unique role to play in protecting the rights of climate displaced persons in Bangladesh. Since 2011, DS and the Bangladesh HLP Initiative have provided a series of training and capacity building events and workshops for lawyers and trainee judges in Bangladesh. These events were led by national and international legal experts and led directly to the launching of LIDS in 2015.
To get in touch with the Bangladesh HLP Initiative, please email: info@displacementsolutions.org.
PRESS ON CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT AND THE BANGLADESH HLP INITIATIVE

The Bangladesh HLP Initiative has been active in supporting and encouraging print and electronic media in Bangladesh to report on the needs of climate displaced persons across the country.
A selection of articles and reports on climate displacement in Bangladesh and the work of the Bangladesh HLP Initiative follows:
Coastal Bangladesh, Orientation to Lawyers on Climate Displacement Held, 13 July 2015:
Dhaka Tribune, Critical Role of Land in Solving Climate Displacement, 25 November 2015.
Dhaka Tribune, The Urgent Need for Rights-Based Solutions to Climate Displacement in Bangladesh, 16 November 2015.
Coastal Bangladesh, Climate Displacement in Bangladesh and Durable Solutions, 8 September 2014.
New York Times, Borrowed Time on Disappearing Land – Facing Rising Seas, Bangladesh Confronts the Consequences of Climate Change, 28 March, 2014.
The Financial Express, Climate Displacement and Durable Solutions, 6 February 2014.
For a selection of Bengali press on climate displacement and the Bangladesh HLP Initiative, please see here.
To get in touch with the Bangladesh HLP Initiative, please email: info@displacementsolutions.org.
BENGALI PRESS ON CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT AND THE BANGLADESH HLP INITIATIVE

The Bangladesh HLP Initiative has been active in supporting and encouraging Bengali print and electronic media in Bangladesh to report on the needs of climate displaced persons across the country.
A selection of articles and reports on climate displacement and the work of the Bangladesh HLP Initiative follows (all in Bengali):
Ajkerbarisal, Bhola, When will the suffering of Displaced People End? 11 November 2015.
Jugantor, Coastal Peoples displaced due to Erosion, 20 October 2015.
Bangla Mail 24, Bhola, No Shelter for Climate Displaced People, 19 October 2015.
First-Bd, Bhola, Displaced People living here and there without permanent Shelter, 19 October 2015.
Parbattyabani, Every year thousands of families experience displacement from Coastal Bangladesh, 15 October 2015.
Edainikpurbokone, People of Karnaphuli river side are living with fear of erosion at any time, 12 February 2015.
Bangla BD News 24, Demand the Rehabilitation of Climate Displaced People, 11 November 2014.
Coastal Bangladesh, Special Supplement of YPSA Round Table Discussion on the Rights of Climate Displaced Persons, 10 September 2014.
Bonikbarta, Needed Integrated Policy for the protection of Climate Displaced People in Bangladesh, 2 September 2014.
Priyo, Demand of New Policy for protection of climate change induced displace peoples in Bangladesh, 2 September 2014.
Comilladarpan, Integrated Policy Required for protection of climate displaced peoples in Bangladesh, 2 September 2014.
Bangla Mail 24, Sustainable Policy Required for Climate Change induced Disaster affected displaced people in Bangladesh, 1 September 2014.
Arthosuchak, Women and Children are the most affected by Climate Change, 1 September 2014.
BD Environment, No rehabilitation for climate displaced people, 17 August 2014.
Coastal Bangladesh, Rehabilitation not done under the Climate Change Trust Fund, Displaced peoples are hopeless, 30 June 2014.
Coastal Bangladesh, Climate Change, The Rate of Displaced Peoples from Coastal Area Increasing in Bangladesh, 10 March 2014.
DW, Rights of Climate Displaced Persons Ensured by Peninsula Principles, 21 August 2013.
Last Destination for climate displaced peoples in the Embankment, 15 December 2012.
Advocacy meeting for ensure the rights of climate Displaced peoples in Khulna, 3 December 2012.
Bangla News 24, Climate Displaced Persons need access to Khas land in Bhola Upazilla.
For a selection of English press on climate displacement and the Bangladesh HLP Initiative, please see here.
To get in touch with the Bangladesh HLP Initiative, please email: info@displacementsolutions.org.
GUIDANCE NOTE ON LAND SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT IN BANGLADESH (BENGALI)
A Bengali version of the Guidance Note on New Land for Climate Displaced Persons in Bangladesh is now available.
This Guidance Note shows that, with improvements in place, the distribution of state-owned (khas) land could provide an important solution to climate displacement in Bangladesh.
This Guidance Note examines the current process of distributing state-owned land in Bangladesh under the Khas system, as well as under the “Char Development and Settlement Project”. It provides a step-by-step overview of how the distribution processes work in practice and identifies a number of shortcomings in each. Concrete recommendations for how these processes could be improved are also provided.
Click here to access the updated Guidance Note.
EU WORKSHOP IN DHAKA – “GROWTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN BANGLADESH”

On 27 October 2015, on behalf of the Bangladesh HLP Initiative, Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) presented at the Delegation of the European Union, BRAC and the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), BRAC University high-level workshop on “Growth and Climate Change: Opportunities and Challenges in Bangladesh”.
This half day event was an opportunity for strategic policy dialogue and technical contributions in preparation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 21st Conference of the Parties (CoP) that will take place in Paris in December. Presentations of global initiatives and reports on climate change by representatives of development partners were complemented by interventions by high Government officials, the private sector, civil society and researchers from C3ER, BRAC University.
YPSA shared their perspectives and experience working to prevent and resolve climate displacement in Bangladesh, as part of the Bangladesh HLP Initiative with Displacement Solutions.
DHAKA TRIBUNE – THE critical role of land in solving climate displacement
On 17 October 2015 the Dhaka Tribune published an article by Displacement Solutions on “The Critical Role of Land in Solving Climate Displacement”.
The Article highlights that Bangladesh needs to plan for the relocation of communities at extreme risk of displacement from climate hazards.
The Article is available online here.
dhaka tribune – the urgent need for rights based solutions to climate displacement in bangladesh
On 10 October 2015 the Dhaka Tribune published an article by Displacement Solutions on “The Urgent Need for Rights Based Solutions to Climate Displacement in Bangladesh”.
The Article highlights that solutions to climate displacement are possible within Bangladesh, but they must be founded on the human rights of affected communities.
The Article is available online here.
GUIDANCE NOTE ON LAND SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT IN BANGLADESH (UPDATED VERSION)
An updated version of the Guidance Note on New Land for Climate Displaced Persons in Bangladesh is now available.
This Guidance Note shows that, with improvements in place, the distribution of state-owned (khas) land could provide an important solution to climate displacement in Bangladesh.
This Guidance Note examines the current process of distributing state-owned land in Bangladesh under the Khas system, as well as under the “Char Development and Settlement Project”. It provides a step-by-step overview of how the distribution processes work in practice and identifies a number of shortcomings in each. Concrete recommendations for how these processes could be improved are also provided.
Click here to access the updated Guidance Note.
bengali version of the pocket guide on the rights of climate displaced persons
The Bangladesh HLP Initiative has released a Bengali language version of the Pocket Guide on the Rights of Climate Displaced Persons.
An electronic version of the Bengali version of the Pocket Book can be accessed here.
This Guide is written in non-technical language and is made specifically for climate displaced persons themselves.
As stated in the introduction to the Guide: “The aim of this guide is to provide practical, easy to follow advice on what people displaced from their homes and lands by climate change can do to get help.”
Based on the full body of international human rights law and The Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States, this quick guide provides concrete steps that climate displaced persons can take to get help, and it does so with reference to case studies of actual climate displaced communities.
Please contact Displacement Solutions at info@displacementsolutions.org if you and your community would like assistance in contacting NGOs or other organisations that may be able to provide you with further advice.
Please also contact us if you would like a hard copy of the Guide, which we can send to you free of charge.
workshop for bangladeshi lawyers and judges on the rights of climate displaced persons
On 9 July 2015, The Bangladesh HLP Initiative held an orientation on the rights of climate displaced persons for lawyers and judges from the Chittagong Bar Association.
The workshop launched the new Bengali version of the Pocket Guide on “The Rights of Climate Displaced Persons” and discussed the important role that Judges and Lawyers can play to protect the rights of climate displaced persons in Bangladesh. The workshop also discussed the possibility of legal aid supporting legal actions to protect the rights of climate displaced persons.
The legal group committed to take further action to raise awareness of the rights of climate displaced persons, to take public interest cases under the Constitution of Bangladesh and to advocate for positive law and policy reform.
Displacement Solutions would like to thank Young Power in Social Action for organising this important event as well as to the lawyers and judges of the Chittagong Bar Association and Bangladesh Legal Aid Service who participated in this workshop.
ds mission to bangladesh – april 2015
In April 2015, DS representative Ezekiel Simperingham visited Bangladesh as part on the ongoing Bangladesh HLP Initiative.


During the mission, DS and local partner Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) participated in the Nansen Initiative South Asia and Indian Ocean Intergovernmental Regional Consultation in Khulna.
DS also travelled to Dacope district to again meet with communities affected by the impacts of climate change in this vulnerable coastal region of Bangladesh.
In Dhaka, DS met with representatives from UNHCR, AFD, the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, USAID, DFID and the Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh. In these discussions, DS raised awareness of the situation of climate displacement in Bangladesh, the rights of climate displaced persons and the work and plans of Displacement Solutions and the Bangladesh HLP Initiative.
innovative new work on land solutions to climate displacement within bangladesh

The work of the DS-YPSA Bangladesh HLP Initiative centres on our view that rather than focusing on technological or engineering solutions to climate adaptation (which, in many instances, will have only very short-term impacts) or placing faith in the good will of the international community to accept Bangladesh’s “climate refugees”, it makes far more sense and stands a far greater chance of success if this focus is instead placed on the prospects of internal relocation within the borders of Bangladesh as the primary solution to ongoing climate displacement.
If pursued cleverly and supported by sub-district, district, divisional and national governments, concrete, human rights-based and land-based HLP solutions are available in Bangladesh for the vast majority of the current climate displaced population, as well as for most of those to be affected by the anticipated displacement in coming decades.
The Bangladesh HLP Initiative is a complex, multi-year and multi-layered plan designed to empower Bangladesh’s displaced communities to realise their HLP rights through a detailed process involving training and capacity building, monitoring where and how climate displacement occurs in the country on a regular basis, acquiring and allocating land from private individuals and government for the exclusive use of climate displaced families, preparing model relocation housing sites, designing and building prototype climate-resilient housing and various advocacy measures.
One of the key areas of intervention concerns the identification of land that could be distributed to climate displaced communities to enable them to re-establish homes on safer land. DS and YPSA have identified 10 land parcels in Chittagong district that we are now seeking to acquire to provide new land resources for the growing climate displaced population in eastern Bangladesh. Our aim is to have the first parcels ready for relocation by 2016, and it is our fervent hope that this method of securing new land resources for at least some of those who are no longer able to live on land they once called home can form a precedent-setting model that will inspire the government of Bangladesh to pursue similar projects at a much larger-scale level throughout the country.
For more information about this innovative work, please contact info@displacementsolutions.org
round table discussion in dhaka on the rights of climate displaced persons
On 1 September 2014, the Bangladesh HLP Initiative held a major round table discussion on the rights of climate displaced persons in Bangladesh.
The round table launched the DS and YPSA Mapping Study on “Climate Displacement in Bangladesh: Stakeholders, Laws and Policies – Mapping the Existing Institutional Framework”.
Participants and guests included Dr. Hasan Mahmud, MP Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment and Forest and former Minister for Environment and Forest; Dr. Niaz Ahmed Khan, Chairman, Department of Development Studies, Dhaka University; Md. Rafiqul Alam, Chief Executive of Dwip Unnayan Sangstha; Md. Shamsuddoha, Chief Executive of Centre for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD); Sujit Chowdhury, Senior Advisor of Climate Change at the German Embassy Bangladesh; AKM Sirajul Islam, Paribesh Bachao Andolon; Mihir Kanti Biswas, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon; Alisan Subrata Baroi, Director of Sushanar Jonno Pracharabhijan; Mizanur Rahman Bijoy, Network on Climate Change of Bangladesh; Aminul Rasul Babul, Executive Director of Unnayan Dhara Trust; Rafiqul Islam Montu, Special Correspondence, BanglaNews24 and Gaohar Nayeem, Convenor, Disaster Forum of Bangladesh.
Thanks to YPSA and to the many guests and participants at this important event.
the peninsula principles on climate displacement within states (BENGALI)

To add to the English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic and Romanian versions of the Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States, the Principles are now available in Bengali. DS thanks Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) for this translation.
The Bengali translation of the Principles can be accessed here.
DOMESTIC LAND SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT IN BANGLADESH – THE NEW INTERNATIONALIST

In this article, Scott Leckie and Ezekiel Simperingham emphasise the need for domestic land solutions to climate displacement in Bangladesh.
This article is available here.
BANGLADESH’S CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT NIGHTMARE – THE ECOLOGIST

This article, published by the Ecologist and written by Scott Leckie, Ezekiel Simperingham and Jordan Bakker after their DS field trip to Bangladesh in January 2011, discusses the crisis that climate change poses for Bangladesh and stresses the need for action to be taken now to protect the human rights of all current displaced persons in Bangladesh, and to prevent mass human rights violations in the future.
This article is available here.