The BBC has just been to Bangladesh, to report on how people there are preparing for annual floods with help from Oxfam. Coverage like this is vital to raise awareness of the human cost of climate change, writes Ben Beaumont.
There’s a great online report by the BBC on climate change from Bangladesh out this morning. I must confess a personal interest here - it’s from Char Atra, the same river island I went to in April to speak to people like Sufia, Hasina, and Keya about the way climate change is affecting their lives ( you can watch their stories on video here).
The BBC were out there last week visiting Oxfam’s work and exploring this vibrant island community, to see how these people are preparing for the floods which will hit in just a few weeks. From a personal perspective, I’m delighted that an organisation like the BBC is highlighting what these people are going through.
They live a precarious existence, and climate change is making things worse. As the BBC journalist Mark Dummett puts it: “Their homes are literally built on sand, and the fact is that one year soon, Char Atra, and everything on it, will be washed away in the floods.”
These are people I’ve met a few times now, and I feel very close to this community - so to see their stories gain this kind of recognition is really something. As we get closer to the huge climate change meeting in Copenhagen in December, it’s more important than ever that we hear the stories of people on the frontline of climate change, and put pressure on our leaders to make a deal which reflects the urgency of the situation.
I’ll be re-visiting this community in a few weeks, to show how these resilient, hardworking people survive when they are surrounded by water. The BBC should be there at the same time - so you’ll be hearing a lot more of Char Atra here on the Oxfam website, and on TV, radio, online - everywhere! Be sure to tell your friends and family about it all.
Oxfam and climate change
Explore the BBC’s report from Char Atra
Watch BBC videos from Char Atra
Tags: Bangladesh, benbeaumont, charatra, climatechange, floods, hereandnow
