Climate change causing food scarcity in CHT region

Scarcity of fresh drinking water is a major challenge for people living in the country’s hilly region, according to a Manusher Jonno  Foundation-commissioned report.

Due to this scarcity, women from  the hill tracts have to travel a long way to collect water, says the  report. As this journey takes up a lot of time, women have to sacrifice  other activities.

Findings of the report “Climate Change  Trends, Situation and Impacts in Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) of  Bangladesh” were disclosed at a programme in Mohakhali’s Brac Centre Inn  yesterday.

Presenting the report, Asst Prof Md Nadiruzzaman of IUB said it tried to see changes in everyday life of hill people from climate change perspective. Recent change in the environment has caused scarcity of food from natural sources; women have to walk extra miles to get food from market.

Nadiruzzaman said through satellite data, they found the number of dry spells during monsoon has increased, whereas it has decreased in Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts.

If this continues, it can affect crop cultivation negatively, he added.

The  report was prepared based on data collected from six upazilas, two each  from three CHT districts -- Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari.  About 400 households were surveyed while the research team also held a number of focus group discussions.

According to the report, landslides appeared to be the biggest environmental risk in the hilly areas.  Deforestation, jhum cultivation, commercial logging and hill cutting has escalated risk of landslides in hill slopes, it says.

Addressing  the programme, noted climate expert Ainun Nishat said if temperature  increases it will greatly harm crop cultivation in the hilly region.

On the other hand, change in weather will increase frequency of cyclones,  which will result in excessive rainfall in the hills. Subsequently, this  will increase possibility of landslide because vegetation there has already been reduced, he added.

MJF Executive Director Shaheen  Anam said people of the hill tracts have been forcibly displaced, and their lands were grabbed illegally, while they also faced natural  disasters like landslides.

“There are laws in Bangladesh related to forest and environment. Aren’t these laws effective there?” she asked.

Sudatta  Chakma, additional secretary (development) of CHT Affairs Ministry,  said the government has taken different initiatives to bring prosperity in the region.