Association for Climate Refugees (ACR) is an organization for and by the climate affected communities, who works to find durable solutions to climate induced displacement in Bangladesh. Due to its low-lying location Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world today and the country is already deeply affected by the impact of the climatic disasters.
Increasing tidal water in the coast and riverbank erosions in the mainland river basins have already displaced more than 8 million people in Bangladesh, having lost their land, houses and livelihood assets.
ACR has informal partnership with more than 200 community based organizations, which represent the climate displaced communities in all districts of the country. ACR is trying to shift all responses towards fulfillment of property rights. By taking a human rights based approach to climate displacement, ACR focuses on the rights to housing, land and property (HLP), that the affected victims are entitled to under the law of the land and the international law as well. Together with the main partner, Displacement Solutions (DS), an international NGO based in Australia and Switzerland, ACR is working on the Bangladesh HLP Initiative to find concrete right-based solutions for the displaced communities.The climate victims are assisted in claiming their housing, land and property restitution rightsby raising awareness about the displacement issues among local and national duty bearers. Furthermore they are being helped to find new land for lost land, new house for lost house, and new livelihood options. In the northern part of Bangladesh a resettlement site for displaced communities has recently been build, providing new land and temporary shelters including clean water supply and safe sanitation for more than 20 families.
All projects are based on field research, interviews with the victims and collaboration with NGO partners and representatives from the local government institutions. ACR believes that durable solutions to the displacement issues should be developed at the local level and in alignment with the vulnerable communities in order to fulfill the wishes of the beneficiaries’ and to secure sustainability of the projects implemented.
ACR was founded in 2007 and receive financial and technical support the World Bank at the very initial stage. Now DS and the Bangladesh Green Fund are supporting ACR activities.
Millions are currently displaced and the negative effects of climate changes will only increase in the future forcing even more millions of people from their home. ACR will keep working for political action, property rights and durable solutions to climate displacement in Bangladesh. ACR does not require any more funding agency but would very much welcome comments and suggestions from individuals and organizations for improvement of its activities towards a durable displacement solution in Bangladesh.
