Climate-displaced families, children in hazardous labour must be rehabilitated to ease urban pressure: TBS roundtable

People displaced by climate change and natural disasters, including children forced into hazardous labour, must be rehabilitated in their own localities rather than pushed into major cities, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain said on Tuesday (23 December), warning that cities like Chattogram have already reached their limits.

"Chattogram currently accommodates around 6 million people. This city simply does not have the capacity to absorb another one million," the mayor said while addressing a roundtable titled "Climate-displaced families and elimination of hazardous child labour" jointly organised by Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) and The Business Standard at Chittagong Independent University.

The roundtable, supported by Solidar Suisse and Climate Action at Local Level (CALL), focused on protecting climate-displaced families, eliminating hazardous child labour and building long-term resilience. The session was chaired by YPSA Chief Executive Officer Md Arifur Rahman and moderated by TBS Chattogram bureau chief Shamsuddin Ilias.

Dr Shahadat said people displaced by cyclones, floods and river erosion are migrating to Chattogram from both coastal and inland regions. "They should be rehabilitated where they were affected. That is the only way to reduce pressure on cities," he said.

He noted that many displaced families, including children, are now living on pavements and in informal settlements across the city. "These children eventually get involved in crime and juvenile gangs. We must address the root causes of this crisis," he said.

Questioning global climate finance flows, the mayor said Bangladesh has failed to secure adequate compensation from countries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. "Either we are failing in advocacy, or when funds do come, corruption prevents them from reaching the affected people," he said.

Photo: Minhaj Uddin/TBS

Dr Shahadat stressed that planned urbanisation is impossible without a functional city government system. "Without coordination and integrated management, planned cities cannot be built. That is why I have been calling for a city government model since my first day in office," he said, citing cities such as London and Toronto.

Presenting the keynote paper, YPSA Head of Advocacy Md Ali Shaheen said Bangladesh is among the world's top 10 climate-vulnerable countries, with floods, cyclones and river erosion displacing nearly 700,000 people every year. These families are often forced into informal and risky work after migrating to cities, where child labour is increasing, he said.

Shaheen said Bangladesh has about 40 million children aged 5–17, of whom around 3.5 million are engaged in child labour and 1 to 1.2 million in hazardous work, with nearly 75% of them out of school.

Climate expert and Executive Director of the Centre for Participatory Research and Development, Md Shamsuddoha, said national adaptation plans have historically failed to put people at the centre. "The focus has remained on infrastructure and procurement. People must be the priority," he said, warning that climate-related disruption of child development leads to intergenerational loss.

Proposing satellite cities for climate-displaced populations, he said such arrangements would allow people to work in urban centres while living in nearby settlements, easing pressure on core cities. He also called for child-centred climate adaptation plans that prioritise quality of life over GDP growth.

Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments in Chattogram, Mohammad Mahbubul Hasan, said planning efforts often remain limited to Chattogram despite its heavy industrial concentration. "There are crores of taka in corporate social responsibility funds within these industries. Proper utilisation of these funds can significantly reduce the problem," he said.

Professor Dr Md Al-Amin, dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Chittagong, said children who dropped out of school due to climate impacts must be brought back into education. "Awareness is important, but removing children from hazardous work ultimately requires political will," he said.

Other speakers included CIU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr MM Nurul Absar, Prothom Alo Joint Editor Omar Kaysar, Chattogram Metropolitan Journalists Union General Secretary Saleh Noman, District Child Affairs Officer Mosleh Uddin, BRAC Chattogram Manager Md Nazrul Islam, and representatives from World Vision, the SDG Youth Forum and other development organisations.

Speakers emphasised the need for stronger global support to build resilience among climate-displaced populations, stressing that integrated approaches combining education, skills training and social protection are essential to eliminating hazardous child labour and ensuring a just and inclusive climate transition.