Bangladesh's climate refugees search for higher ground

[YankeyMCC]

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"Some of us think that the land is sinking. Others say the sea is rising," the 55-year-old says. "To be honest, I have no idea. All I know is we had to move our homes to survive."

Ahmed moved from the island 10 years ago and has watched as former neighbours follow his lead.

"I was one of the first here when my home on the edge of the island disappeared. Slowly more followed. Now it's happening more and more and our old island is disappearing under the sea."

Ahmed's story is a familiar tale on Bangladesh's southern coast, where locals and climate experts say islands at the country's edge as well as its coastline on the Bay of Bengal are shrinking.

Although the villagers say they do not know the exact cause of the problem, experts are more sure.

Scientists -- including those from the United Nations Inter-government Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- say the number of climate refugees will increase in Bangladesh in the coming years as rising sea levels devour low-lying coastal areas of the delta country.

The plight of people like Jaber Ahmed is at the top of the agenda for a Bangladeshi delegation representing the impoverished nation during climate change talks from December 1-12 in Poznan, Poland.
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http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Bangladeshs_climate_refugees_search_for_higher_ground_999.html