If You’ve Ever Wondered How to Solve Climate Displacement, Join DS in Accessing Land and Homes in Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea
Displacement Solutions has worked to improve the plight of climate displaced persons for seven years in a range of the world’s most heavily-affected countries through advocacy, training, fact-finding missions and a range of other measures.
In 2015, DS is adding a new dimension to our work to resolve climate displacement. Our One House at a Time Project provides the global public with the opportunity to work together to buy new land and homes for individual families displaced by climate change with an initial focus on assisting families in Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea.
We are starting small with actions in two key countries: Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea.
In Bangladesh we are working with our partners Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) to identify viable land parcels, work with local government and others to develop the land once it is accessed, and then to work with several communities to relocate them in a planned and rights-based manner away from the communities in which they now can no longer reside.
In Papua New Guinea we are working with our friends at Tulele Peisa, assisting them in their quest to identify and acquire larger tracts of land on Bougainville that are suitable for the resettlement of islanders from the Carteret Islands who are increasingly unable to reside there due to the effects of climate change.
This project is human rights in action.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Climate displacement is an extraordinary global problem and one that will surely grow; but it can be resolved one house at a time, and you can directly help reduce the misery affecting ever-growing numbers of families throughout the world.
Your donation to the One House at a Time Project will concretely help to end climate displacement by assisting in the actual purchase of land and/or housing and shelter materials for climate displaced families, one family and one house at a time.
In Bangladesh, approximately US$ 3,500-6,500 is required to fund housing and land for one family – While land prices will vary across Bangladesh (as they do in all countries), YPSA and DS have attempted to calculate the total per family costs as accurately possible for various viable sites. We have calculated these per family costs based on disaggregated costings including land costs, housing construction costs, and other infrastructure services. The costs are estimated based on exchange rates from late 2014.
In Papua New Guinea, approximately US$ 6,500 is required to fund housing and land for one family.
While some contributors may be able to donate the total amounts required, DS urges others who would like to contribute to organise fundraising events, host parties or dinners or community activities designed to raise the required funds.
All donations made by the public will be initially collected by DS into a special fund established exclusively for this purpose. Once the total amount required per family is reached, the funds will then be transferred to either Bangladesh or Papua New Guinea where the land and/or housing will be purchased by YPSA or Tulele Peisa.
DS will carry out oversight of projects to ensure full accountability and transparency of activities undertaken with your donation. This will include the publication of regular reports with thorough descriptions and images documenting the progress of the project.
If you are interested in making a donation or would like to request more information about the DS One House at a Time Project, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@displacementsolutions.org.
For further information on the relocation initiatives within Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page and click on ‘YOUR CHANCE TO HELP SOLVE CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT – ONE HOUSE AT A TIME’.