Climate change to impact on housing sector

Staff Reporter :
The global climate change accompanied by the rise of sea level and the increase of temperature will pose a threat to the housing sector in the country when many people will be rendered homeless.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the influx of Rohingya have created new challenges in the housing sector as well. Amid such a situation national and international cooperation is necessary in the development of the housing sector.
The observation was made in a seminar on the occasion of the World Habitat Day in the Osmany Memorial Auditorium in the capital, where State Minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed was present as the Chief Guest.
“The frequency of the natural disasters is increasing day by day due to climate change. Many people are being rendered homeless every year,” the State Minister said.
“The sea level rise is increasing and the low lying areas adjacent to the coastal areas are being submerged due to the impact of global warming. It may be intensified in future. It is feared that such issues will force many people out of shelters,” he added.
He also noted that the social disparity is widening due to the challenges of the twenty-first century, the capitalist system and unequal distribution of resources.
“The crisis of hunger, poverty, malnutrition and housing is deepening in third world countries. The recent Ukraine-Russia war, mass killing in Arakan by the Myanmar army have created a refugee crisis in the world. The supply chain of food grains, fuels and other items has been hampered due to war, which has impacted the living cost,” Sharif Ahmed said.
Recalling the phenomenal impact of Covid-19, he said, “Many people have lost jobs across the world due to the pandemic since 2020. Consequently, the housing sector has started experiencing new challenges. It is quite difficult to face the challenge alone. National and international cooperation is needed.”
Mentioning the successes in the country’s housing sector, he said that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman started the rehabilitation programme for the homeless people in Ramgati Upazila in 1972.
Now the current government has taken various steps to ensure the standards in the housing sector, he claimed.
He also mentioned some of the government’s initiatives to offer plots and flats for the middle and low income groups of people.
The government has built rented flats for the slum people in the capital, and such programmes are also at Dattapara in Feni and Mirpur in Dhaka, he added.
“Under Public Private Partnership, the government will construct 13,720 flats at Jheelmill Residential Park in Keraniganj. Besides, a number of residential buildings have been constructed in different areas including Matijheel, Azimpur, Malibag and Mirpur for government officials,” he added.
He also said that the government has taken a master plan for planned development in every town of the country so that the agricultural lands are saved and quality housing is ensured.