Green Group demands Addressing Gender and Reproductive Health in Adaptation Programmes

Director of Environment Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikdar is addressing
the participants

Coastal Women are the worst victims of climate change, so they should be entitled to get most importance in climate adaptation programmes. The green groups demanded including women in each and every adaptation programme under Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) and Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF). There is no alternative of involving them in adaptation plan and programmes for sustainable development in coastal zone, they said. They said these in a Sharing Meeting on Thursday (6 September 2012) in the Auditorium of Department of Environment (DOE), Khulna organised by Humanitywatch and Participatory Research and Action Network (PRAN) under assistance from Population Action International (PAI).

BBC Bangla contributor journalist Gouranga Nandy chaired the meeting while Director of Department of Environment (DOE) Dr. Tarun Kanti Sikdar was present as chief guest. Civic leader Advocate Firoz Ahmed, central leader of Bangladesh Krishak League Shyamol Singha Roy and senior information officer M Zaved Iqbal participated in the meeting as special guests. More than 50 persons including NGOs, cultural sector, political parties, students and civil society representative participated in the meeting. Humanitywatch chief executive Hasan Mehedi presented the Concept Paper in the sharing meeting.

The participants said that, coastal zone of Bangladesh is most vulnerable within the country. Women are facing crucial sufferings than the men due to socioeconomic conditions and excessive responsibilities in family level management. In the recent years, incidents of cyclones, storm surges, river erosion and salinity have been increased in alarming level. All of these aggregated sufferings of women. Besides, the population growth increased due to lack of financing in this sector. If immediate action is not taken by the government, the population will touch 300 million by 2030 and the situation will go beyond management capacity of the country. In this situation, the participants urged to include issues of reproductive health in the adaptation projects.

The director of DOE assured the participants about his communication with the ministry on the concerns. He also requested the organisers to submit a paper with demands to his office. Bhasani Mancho central leader Sheikh Abdul Halim, BELA divisional coordinator Mahfuzur Rahman Mukul, Shushilan gender consultant Lutfunnesa Heera, Nijera Kori activist Shahida Khatun, Conscience executive director Salim Bulbul, Dalit activist Kabita Sarkar, Paribartan-Khulna executive director Nazmul Azam David, Dhrupad executive director Basudev Biswas Babla, ILS coordinator Nuruddin Mohammad Idris, freelance development activist SKMD Bahlul Alam, Chhayabrikkho executive director Mahbub Alam Badsha, MSSUS project officer Shafiqul Islam, college teacher Zia Hasan Sumon, Khulna University student Rezaul Karim Zitu, Farzana Khatun, Humanitywatch programme coordinator Shariful Islam Salim addressed the participants among others.