Raising the Voice of Climate Refugees at the United Nations

During the “Beyond GDP: Moving from Analysis to Impact” session at the UN Goals Lounge, Shankar Halder, Founder & President of Mukti, raised a question that is deeply connected to Mukti’s work in the Sundarbans.

Drawing from Mukti’s grassroots experience, he highlighted that communities in the Sundarbans are already experiencing the harsh realities of climate change. Rising sea levels, cyclones, salinity intrusion, erosion, and the loss of livelihoods are forcing many families to leave their homes, creating a growing population of climate refugees. He emphasized that this is not unique to the Sundarbans but an emerging global challenge affecting vulnerable communities across the world.

Addressing the distinguished panel, Mr. Halder posed the following question:

“As we move beyond GDP as the sole measure of development, how are the suffering, displacement, and loss experienced by climate refugees being recognized? With climate change accelerating and impacts becoming more severe, this issue is likely to become one of the defining humanitarian and development challenges of the coming decades. How should governments and the international community incorporate the wellbeing and resilience of climate-affected populations into future measures of national progress?”

The discussion reinforced an important message: true development cannot be measured only by economic output. It must also account for the wellbeing, dignity, resilience, and future security of people—especially those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

For organisations like Mukti, the discussion further strengthened the conviction that future development indicators should recognise not only economic growth but also environmental sustainability, community resilience, and the lives of people who bear the greatest burden of the climate crisis. Through its continued work in the Sundarbans, Mukti remains committed to advocating for development approaches that place people, communities, and the environment at the centre of sustainable progress.

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