A roundtable titled "Integrating Climate-Induced Migrants and Internally Displaced Populations into the Social Protection System" was held at the Khulna Press Club auditorium. Photo: PID

KHULNA, Nov 10, 2025 (BSS) - Experts at a roundtable discussion on 
Monday  emphasized the urgent need to formally include climate-induced 
displaced populations of Bangladesh's southwest coastal region under the 
national social protection framework.

The roundtable titled "Integrating Climate-Induced Migrants and Internally 
Displaced Populations into the Social Protection System" was held at the 
Khulna Press Club auditorium, organised by Caritas Khulna Region.

The event brought together policymakers, academics, government officials, 
development organisations, and representatives from climate-vulnerable 
migrant communities of Khulna City Corporation's Wards 09, 21, 22, and 31. 

The main objective of the discussion was to bridge the policy-practice gap 
between disaster management strategies and the ground realities faced by 
displaced urban communities.

The session began with an introductory speech by Dr. Sumon Kumar Malakar, 
programme officer of Caritas Khulna Region, who outlined the purpose of the 
roundtable discussion.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Albino Nath, regional director of Caritas Khulna 
Region, reiterated the organisation's strong commitment to Disaster Risk 
Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) initiatives in the 
country's disaster-prone southwest. 

He stressed the importance of adopting an integrated approach that combines 
DRR, CCA, and Social Protection (SP) to ensure resilience and that no one is 
left behind.

The coastal districts of Khulna and Satkhira continue to face recurring 
disasters such as cyclones, floods, and salinity intrusion. 

These hazards force thousands of people to migrate to urban slums, where they 
often face new socio-economic challenges and remain excluded from traditional 
social protection programmes due to lack of proper documentation and insecure 
housing.

Speaking as the chief guest Md. Feroz Shah, acting divisional commissioner of 
Khulna, stated, "Internal displacement due to climate change is now a visible 
reality. Integrating these communities into the national social protection 
system is a pressing need of the time. Through coordinated efforts between 
government and non-government actors, we can establish an inclusive and 
sustainable social protection mechanism." 
He further noted that the evidence and recommendations generated by field-
based organisations like Caritas could play a vital role in informing future 
policy directions.

Addressing as the special guest, Sharif Asif Rahman, chief executive officer 
and secretary of Khulna City Corporation (KCC), remarked, "The city 
corporation deeply acknowledges the plight of climate-induced migrants. We 
are working to integrate these vulnerable populations into our urban 
development, health, and social welfare planning. Strengthening partnerships 
with organisations like Caritas will help accelerate inclusive urban 
resilience initiatives."

Dr. Mohammad Ismail Hossain, assistant professor at the Institute of Disaster 
Management of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), who 
shared critical findings on the impact of climate change across three coastal 
upazilas, presented the keynote paper.

During the open discussion, participants highlighted that existing social 
protection systems are largely designed for permanently settled populations 
and fail to address the specific vulnerabilities of mobile or displaced 
groups. 

They called for innovative, shock-responsive delivery mechanisms and stronger 
policy alignment to support these vulnerable populations.