Report on Displacement Solutions Mission to Bangladesh

REPORT ON DISPLACEMENT SOLUTIONS MISSION TO BANGLADESH:

19 OCTOBER – 3 NOVEMBER 2011

BACKGROUND

This mission to Bangladesh, from 19 October to 3 November 2011, formed part of Displacement Solutions’ Climate Displacement in Bangladesh Initiative.

The mission was the second of four planned DS missions to Bangladesh in 2011 and 2012. The first mission was undertaken in January 2011, the third will be undertaken in March 2012 and the fourth, a high-level fact-finding mission, will take place in December 2012.

This mission was undertaken by Ezekiel Simperingham, legal consultant for Displacement Solutions.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this mission were:

- To undertake extensive travel throughout the country to areas inhabited by climate displaced communities; - To undertake extensive meetings with local and national government politicians and officials encouraging greater attention to the land and other needs of climate displaced communities; - To provide a series of advice and training sessions throughout the country for local offices of ACR, government officials and others involved with climate displacement issues; - To oversee financial accounting, receipts, report writing of ACR; - To form the basic groundwork for a long-term concrete plan to assist climate displaced persons to address displacement caused by climate change in Bangladesh; - To assist in bolstering the day-to-day work of the ACR and to enable the most up-to- date analysis of the situation to occur.

SITES VISITED 1. ACR Country Coordination Office, Dhaka City, Dhaka District 2. YPSA Headquarters, Chittagong City, Chittagong District 3. YPSA Training Centre, Chittagong City, Chittagong District 4. YPSA Branch Office, Kawkhali Sub-District, Rangamati District 5. Climate Displacement Relocation Sites across Rangamati District 6. YPSA branch office, Rangamati Sadar Sub-District, Rangamati District 7. ACR proposed climate displacement relocation site, Goyamara Hills, Fashiakhali Union, Lama Upazilla, Banarban District 8. YPSA Shelter, Cox’s Bazaar District 9. YPSA Branch Office, Cox’s Bazaar District 10. Climate Displacement Relocation Site, Nagirer Tek, Cox’s Bazaar District 11. YPSA Branch Office and Guest House, Cox’s Bazaar City, Cox’s Bazaar District 12. OSED Office, Chakaria Sub-District, Cox’s Bazaar District 13. YPSA Sub-Office, Alikadam, Bandarban District 14. YPSA Community Medical Clinic, Bandarban District 15. ACR Climate Displacement Relocation Site, Boalichar, Lama Sub-District, Bandarban District 16. ACR Climate Displacement Relocation Site, Manikchhari Sub-District, Khagrachhari District 17. Sugar Mill Guest House, Dewanganj Sub-District, Jamalpur District 18. Climate Displacement Relocation Sites along Jamuna River, Dewanganj, Jamalpur District 19. PRAC office, Dewanjganj, Jamalpur District 20. Climate Displacement Relocation Sites, Kurigram District 21. Centre for Social Development Office, Kurigram District 22. Climate Displacement Relocation Sites in Srirajganj District

DETAILS OF MISSION

WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER

- 17.40 Arrival Dhaka - Flight EK586 (Dubai); - Transfer to the Association for Climate Refugees (ACR) Country Coordination Office, Dhaka; - ACR Office, Dhaka; meeting to discuss and finalise visit plan for DS mission; with Muhammad Abu Musa (MB), Director of ACR and representatives from ACR partner NGOs; - Night Stay at ACR Guest House.

THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER

- ACR Office, Dhaka; updating on climate displacement across Bangladesh, revisiting ACR strategies for Bangladesh HLP initiative, updating on ACR criteria for assessing need of climate refugees; with MB and NGO representatives from Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Dhaka; - Bus travel Dhaka to Chittagong [9 hours]; - Night Stay at YPSA Guest House, Chittagong.

FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER - YPSA Training Centre; training course on the work of DS and human rights and climate displacement; with climate displaced persons, community leaders, partner NGO representatives and teams from ACR and YPSA; total participants 28; - YPSA Training Centre; sharing meeting on the climate displacement situation in Rangamati, Khagrachari, Bandarban, Coxsbazar and Chittagong districts; with climate displaced community leaders, NGO representatives, MB and Arif Rahman, Chief Executive of YPSA; - YPSA Chittagong Office; future work plan of ACR and general discussion on strategies for climate displacement across Bangladesh; with MB and Arif; - Night stay at YPSA Guest House, Chittagong.

SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER

- Travel to YPSA Branch Office, Kawkhali Sub-District, Rangamati District; check-in and clearance from Police security post in Chittagong Hill Tracts; - YPSA Kawkhali Branch Office; discussion on climate displacement in Rangamati district (Chittagong Hill Tracts); effectiveness as possible future relocation site, conflict with indigenous population; with climate displaced community representatives, NGO leaders, community leaders and local government officials from Rangamati district; - Travel to Relocation Sites in Rangamati district; discussion with climate displaced individuals across Rangamati district; - Travel to YPSA Branch Office, Rangamati Sadar, Rangamati District; - Travel to YPSA Guest Office, Chittagong; night Stay at YPSA Guest House.

SUNDAY 23 OCTOBER

- YPSA Guest House; discussion on legal issues relating to formation of community land trusts; with MB; - Travel to ACR Relocation site (private donated land), Goyamara Hills, Fashiakhali Union, Lama Upazilla, Bandarban District; discussion with donor of land on nature of donation, future effectiveness as a relocation site; possibility of livelihoods, education and other facilities for climate displaced persons; - Travel to YPSA Shelter, Cox’s Bazaar; discussion on work of YPSA Shelter; potential increased use by climate displaced persons and other vulnerable individuals in the district; - Travel to YPSA Branch Office, Cox’s Bazaar; - Travel to Relocation Site at Nagirer Tek, Cox’s Bazaar; discussion with climate displaced communities from coastal and island areas; nature of their displacement and issues in current site of relocation; - Travel to YPSA Branch Office and Guest Office, Cox’s Bazaar; drafting Press Release on donated land at ACR Relocation site; with MD and donor of land; - Night stay at YPSA Branch Office and Guest House, Cox’s Bazaar.

MONDAY 24 OCTOBER

- Travel to YPSA Branch Office, Cox’s Bazaar; discussion on work of YPSA with climate displaced communities in Cox’s Bazaar District; - Travel to OSED Office (ACR NGO partner), Chakaria Sub-District; discussion on work of OSED supporting climate displaced communities in Chittagong Division; future programme activities; - Travel to Bandarban District; Check-in and clearance from Police security post in Chittagong Hill Tracts; - Travel to YPSA Sub-Office, Alikadam Sub-District, Bandarban District; meeting with climate displaced communities, community leaders and NGO leaders from Bandarban (Chittagong Hill Tracts) District; - Travel to YPSA Community Health Clinic; discussion on health concerns in the areas and special vulnerability of new settlers to the region; - Travel to Lama Sub-District, Bandarban District; check-in at Security Post; collection of three armed police escorts for onward travel; - Travel to ACR Relocation Site, Boalirchar, Lama Sub-district, Bandarban District; discussion with climate displaced community (from Koyra Island, Khulna district), community leaders, local government officials on issues and future of relocation site; - Travel to YPSA Office, Chittagong City; - Night Stay, YPSA Guest House, Chittagong City.

TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER

- Travel to Khagrachhari District, Chittagong Hill Tracts; passed by Army check-point but no sign-in; - Travel to Manikchhari Sub-District; meeting at local school with climate displaced communities in Khagrachhari District; sharing meeting of experiences; discussion with local government officials; - Travel to ACR Relocation Site, Manikchhari Sub-District, Khagrachhari District (Mr Mongal Mondol); discussion with climate displaced community, community leaders, NGO representatives and local government officials; - Travel to Chittagong; stopped by army check-point for one hour; ACR team camera searched and told to delete photos; DS conversation with District Commander; - Night Stay YPSA Guest House, Chittagong.

WEDNESDAY 26 OCTOBER

- Bus travel Chittagong to Dhaka [9 hours]; - ACR Office, Dhaka; Discussion with MB on future planning for ACR and DS; - Night stay at ACR Guest House, Dhaka.

THURSDAY 27 OCTOBER

- ACR Office, Dhaka; All day discussion on future ACR project management, planning, programmes, financial management system and organisational structure; updated planning for remainder of DS mission; with MB, NGO leaders and climate displaced community leaders; - Night stay ACR Guest House, Dhaka.

FRIDAY 28 OCTOBER - Travel from Dhaka to Jamalpur District [7 hours]; involved in car accident; changed van and driver; - Zeal-Bangla Sugar Mill Guest House, Dewanganj Sub-District; meeting with climate displaced community, community leaders and NGO representatives; - Travel to climate displaced relocation sites along Jamuna river; discussion with climate displaced communities, community leaders, NGO representatives and local government officials from Dewanganj Sub-District; - Receipt of donated land for climate displaced communities from Chaiman of Dewanganj Sub-District; - Night Stay Sugar Mill Guest House, Dewanganj.

SATURDAY 29 OCTOBER

- Zeal-Bangla Sugar Mill; discussion on formation of local samity; meeting with community leaders for Dewanganj Sub-District, local NGO leaders; - Travel to climate relocation site; meeting with local government representatives; discussion on climate displacement and effects on the sub-district; - Travel to climate displacement site; abandoned railway tracks along eroded banks of Jamuna river; meeting with climate displaced communities and community leaders; - Travel to PRAC office, Dewanganj (ACR partner); meeting and discussion on climate displacement in local community; potential strategies for land acquisition in the region; - Travel to Centre for Social Development, Rowmari, Kurigram, Rangpur; discussion on role of CSD as ACR partner organisation; discussion on results of climate displacement survey undertaken in Kurigram; - Travel to climate displacement site; river island char in Jamuna river; meeting with climate displaced community, community leaders, local government officials and NGO leaders; - Travel to Sugar Mill Guest House, Dewanganj; night Stay Sugar Mill Guest House.

SUNDAY 30 OCTOBER

- Travel to climate displacement site, Sirajganj [6 hours]; river island char; meeting with climate displaced communities, community leaders, NGO leaders and local government officials; discussion on results of climate displacement survey in community; discussion on effectiveness of char as a relocation site; - Travel to CDUK (ACR partner) office, Sirajganj; - Travel to Dhaka [9 hours]; - Night Stay ACR Guest House, Dhaka.

MONDAY 31 OCTOBER

- ACR Office, Dhaka; planning meeting, organisational structure of ACR and planning for end 2011 and 2012; discussion with partner NGOs; discussion on budget and how to eliminate corruption and ensure effectiveness of funds in Bangladesh; discussion on advocacy strategies in Bangladesh and internationally; - Night Stay ACR Guest House, Dhaka. TUESDAY 1 NOVEMBER

- ACR Office, Dhaka; morning workshop on future activities of ACR, programmes and organisational structure, with representatives from ACR partner NGOs and climate displaced community leaders; - ACR Office, Dhaka; afternoon meeting with Secretary of the Land Ministry (Retired); discussion on ACR and DS projects, legal issues around land acquisition (donation and purchase of government and private land), formation of community land trusts; discussion on formation of high-level advisory board on land issues in Bangladesh; - Night Stay ACR Office, Dhaka.

WEDNESDAY 2 NOVEMBER

- ACR Office, Dhaka; planning meeting and discussion with MB, future projects of ACR and DS on climate displacement in Bangladesh; wrap-up meeting and reflection on mission; - Transfer to Dhaka International Airport; - 21.05 Departure Flight EK585 (Dubai)