When Home Is No Longer Safe!

“One night, the river just swallowed it. Our land, our home, even the trees it’s all gone.”
Amena Begum, 47, displaced mother from Shyamnagar, Satkhira.

In the lush deltas of Bangladesh, where rivers braid through villages and farmland, climate change is not a distant threat it’s reality. Families who once lived in harmony with nature now find their lives uprooted by floods, storms, salinity, and sea-level rise.

This growing wave of climate migration is not just a humanitarian crisis it’s a call for global action. In this blog, we explore why families are leaving their homes, the deep impact on lives and livelihoods, and how communities and EcoNature BD are working on sustainable solutions.

What Is Climate Migration and Why Is It Happening?

“When the land betrays its people, where can they go?”

Climate Migration Meaning

Climate migration is the involuntary movement of people due to environmental disruptions caused by climate change. These disruptions may be sudden like floods or cyclones or slow-onset, such as salinity creeping into farmland or prolonged droughts.

Unlike economic migration, where people move in search of better opportunities, climate-induced displacement is a survival response. It is not about seeking a better life; it’s about escaping conditions that make life impossible.

A Perfect Storm of Climate Stressors

Let’s unpack the major environmental triggers forcing families to abandon their ancestral homes in Bangladesh:

Sea-Level Rise: A Vanishing Homeland

Bangladesh’s deltaic coastline home to more than 35 million people is dangerously exposed to rising seas.

According to the World Bank, Bangladesh could lose 17% of its land by 2050 due to sea-level rise, potentially displacing over 20 million people. Coastal regions like Bhola, Barguna, and Satkhira are already experiencing creeping submergence, with rivers claiming roads, croplands, and even homes.

In some villages, families have been displaced three or four times in one generation, pushed further inland every few years.

Cyclones and Storm Surges: The Sudden Disasters

Over the last two decades, Bangladesh has faced an increasing frequency and intensity of cyclones. Storms like Cyclone Sidr (2007), Aila (2009), and Amphan (2020) have left deep scars across the southern belt.

These storms:

Destroy homes and embankments
Erode fertile lands
Contaminate freshwater sources with saltwater
Leave thousands homeless within hours

In Koyra Upazila, residents still live in tents erected after Cyclone Amphan. Recovery is slow, and many have chosen to migrate to nearby urban centers like Khulna city.

Saltwater Intrusion: Silent Poison in the Soil

Climate change has increased the penetration of saltwater into freshwater aquifers, especially in the dry season. The once fertile soil of Satkhira and Khulna is now unfit for rice farming or vegetable cultivation.

In these districts:

Over 62% of shallow tube wells are contaminated with saline water
Drinking water sources are shrinking
Women must walk up to 5 km daily to collect potable water

This slow-onset disaster doesn’t make headlines but it quietly kills communities’ ability to survive in place.

Crop Failure and Lost Livelihoods: The Breaking Point

For many farmers, the soil is their last line of defense. When it fails, the choice is clear: leave or starve.

In Barisal, once known as the “rice bowl” of the south, increasing salinity and erratic rainfall have caused rice yields to plummet. Many smallholder farmers have switched to shrimp farming, but it’s capital-intensive, risky, and controlled by larger aquaculture businesses.

In the Sundarbans-adjacent villages, families who once relied on forest produce or fishing can no longer access these resources due to:

Biodiversity decline
River salinity
Government restrictions post-cyclone for ecological protection

❝ Before, I could grow rice and vegetables. Now, nothing grows. We drink pond water. My son moved to Dhaka to find work. ❞
Hashem Ali, farmer, Koyra Upazila, Khulna

Hashem’s story isn’t unique. It’s echoed by thousands across Bangladesh’s climate frontlines.

🇧🇩 Bangladesh Ground Zero for Climate-Induced Displacement

Bangladesh sits at the crossroads of geography, vulnerability, and climate chaos. With two-thirds of the country less than 5 meters above sea level, a population of over 170 million, and 60% engaged in climate-sensitive sectors like farming and fishing the nation is a textbook case of climate fragility.

Why is Bangladesh so vulnerable?

Geographic location in a tropical cyclone zone
Densely populated delta system with 700+ rivers
Poverty and limited adaptive capacity
Heavy reliance on natural resources for livelihood

These factors compound the effects of climate change, making it nearly impossible to “bounce back” after a disaster especially for marginalized families.

The Data Speaks Louder Than Forecasts

Let’s break down the numbers:

4.1 million people in Bangladesh were displaced due to climate disasters in 2022 alone (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre)
More than 70% of natural disasters in Bangladesh since 2000 have been climate-related
13.3 million people may be displaced internally by 2050 due to sea-level rise and river erosion (IOM Bangladesh)

In some parts of Gabura Union, Sundarbans, people have resorted to living on elevated bamboo stilts. There’s no official evacuation plan, and many rebuild their huts year after year, only to lose them again.

❝ In Gabura Union, people build houses on bamboo stilts and sleep with one ear open. They live in fear of the next tide. ❞
Field Coordinator, EcoNature BD, Sundarbans Field Office

Most Affected Areas (and the Human Toll)

District	Major Risk Factors	Displacement Impact
Satkhira	Salinity, Cyclones, Embankment breaches	Thousands living in makeshift shelters
Bhola	River erosion, tidal floods	Entire villages submerged, relocated
Khulna	Saline water, agricultural loss	Migration to Khulna city growing rapidly
Bagerhat	Cyclones, tidal surges	Schools destroyed, families split apart
Noakhali	Coastal erosion, storm surge	Informal settlements growing inland

These aren’t just regions on a map. They’re homes, memories, and futures under threat.

Bangladesh’s Response A Work in Progress

Bangladesh has made commendable efforts:

The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) includes sections on migration.
Projects under the Delta Plan 2100 address long-term water and land management.
Planned relocation policies are being tested in high-risk areas like Bhola.

But the challenge is immense and growing faster than most systems can handle.

How Climate Migration Disrupts Lives and Futures

“We didn’t just lose our home we lost everything that made it feel like home.”

Climate migration is often discussed in terms of numbers millions displaced, hectares lost, dollars of damage. But behind every data point is a human life, a child pulled out of school, a mother without medicine, a father forced into hard labor in a strange city.

This crisis is not only environmental it is social, psychological, and deeply personal. It breaks apart families, erodes communities, and derails futures with silent cruelty.

Social Impacts: Fragmented Families, Fractured Futures

Migration due to climate stressors doesn’t just move people it uproots their entire social ecosystem.

Children’s Education in Jeopardy

When families are displaced suddenly due to a cyclone or gradual erosion they are forced to leave everything behind, including their children’s education.

Schools are destroyed in floods or cyclones.
In cities like Dhaka or Khulna, displaced families can’t afford admission, uniforms, or transport.
Children often become informal workers helping at tea stalls, collecting waste, or begging.

❝ My daughter used to study in Class 4. Since we came to the city, she hasn’t been to school. We need her to help earn. ❞
Nasima Khatun, mother of two, living in Korail Slum, Dhaka

Increased Risk for Women and Girls

Displacement puts women at heightened risk of gender-based violence, exploitation, and trafficking especially in unprotected and chaotic environments like slums or cyclone shelters.

In many areas:

There are no separate toilets or bathing spaces for women.
Early marriages increase due to economic desperation.
Access to menstrual hygiene products and reproductive healthcare becomes nearly impossible.

A 2021 BRAC study found that climate migrant women in Dhaka slums are twice as likely to experience domestic violence compared to rural counterparts.

❝ In the camp, we sleep under plastic. At night, we stay awake because anything can happen. I miss my village, even the floods. ❞
Rina Begum, 26, displaced from Mongla

climate change in bangladesh, Climate Migration

Life in Urban Slums: From Rural Hope to Urban Hardship

Climate migrants typically end up in informal urban settlements in Korail (Dhaka), Khalishpur (Khulna), or Pahartali (Chattogram). These areas are:

Overcrowded and prone to disease outbreaks
Lacking legal recognition or tenure security
Without proper drainage, waste disposal, or clean drinking water

In Khulna’s Gollamari slum, over 60% of residents are from climate-affected districts like Satkhira, Bagerhat, and Patuakhali. They live in tin-roofed shacks on rented land and face eviction at any time.

Economic Impacts: From Producers to Survivors

For most displaced families, the journey to cities is not a step toward economic opportunity it’s a desperate attempt to survive.

Rural to Urban Labor Shift

Once farmers, fishermen, or forest-dependent households become informal laborers, often with no security or dignity.

They become:

Day laborers at construction sites
Rickshaw pullers in urban markets
Garment workers in unsafe factories (if lucky)

Their traditional skills like rice farming or jute weaving are not transferable to urban economies.

❝ My house was destroyed twice. We live in a tent near Satkhira town. I earn Tk 200 a day carrying bricks. That’s not a life. ❞
Rasel Mia, displaced youth

Growing Urban Poverty and Informality

Displacement also contributes to:

Rising unemployment and underemployment in urban areas
Pressure on basic infrastructure like water, electricity, and waste systems
Expansion of informal settlements and slum sprawl

A study by the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) found that climate migrants in Dhaka earn 50% less on average than rural agricultural laborers due to the high cost of living and job precarity.

Psychosocial Effects: The Invisible Burden

While the loss of land and income is visible, the psychological scars of climate migration often go unnoticed:

Loss of identity and community: People lose the land their ancestors tilled and temples where they prayed.
Hopelessness and trauma: Especially among the elderly, who feel abandoned in an unfamiliar city.
Family fragmentation: As youth migrate alone in search of work, elderly parents and children are left behind.

A rapid assessment in post-Amphan Satkhira by EcoNature BD revealed high rates of post-traumatic stress among displaced women and elderly men.

❝ My husband died in the flood. Now I live with my daughter in the city. But I feel like I died too. I don’t know anyone here. ❞
Kohinoor Bibi, 63, Satkhira migrant living in Khulna

The Generational Cost of Climate Displacement

The impacts of climate migration are not one-time events. They ripple across generations:

Children born in slums start life without documentation or healthcare.
Youth are pushed into exploitative labor, unable to break out of poverty cycles.
Women lose agency and support systems.

This is not just a development challenge it’s a development reversal.

Bangladesh’s hard-earned gains in poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, and education are at risk of being undone by unchecked climate displacement.

The Vicious Cycle: Migration as Both Cause and Consequence

As migrants settle in flood-prone urban fringes or deforested peripheries, they again become climate vulnerable.

Informal settlements are often located in:

Water-logged areas
Canals or drainage basins
Low-lying embankment zones

This means displaced families are now vulnerable to urban flooding, heatwaves, and water-borne disease outbreaks creating a never-ending cycle of climate vulnerability.

Breaking the Cycle: What Needs to Change

To address these compounded crises, we need:

Urban inclusion policies that integrate migrants into housing, education, and healthcare systems
Decentralized urban planning that reduces pressure on major cities
Dignified employment schemes for displaced people
Mental health support in humanitarian response programs
Legal recognition and land rights for displaced communities

The Human Face of Migration Stories from the Ground

“We were born on this land. Now we’re refugees in our own country.”

Behind the statistics lie faces. Families. Generations of farmers, fishers, and forest gatherers whose connection to the land has been torn apart by the relentless advance of climate change. In Bangladesh, climate migration is not a forecast it’s a daily heartbreak. The following stories from Satkhira, the Sundarbans, and Bhola reveal the emotional, cultural, and practical toll of being climate migrants in their own homeland.

Satkhira: From Rice Fields to Salt Flats

Once hailed as one of the most agriculturally productive districts in the south, Satkhira has seen a dramatic transformation over the past two decades.

❝ My father taught me how to grow aman rice when I was 12. But now the land stings with salt. Even the grass doesn’t grow. ❞
Jalal Uddin, 52, farmer-turned-rickshaw puller, originally from Kaliganj, Satkhira

What went wrong?

Sea-level rise and tidal flooding have contaminated both surface and groundwater.
Salinity has increased dramatically in areas like Assasuni, Tala, and Shyamnagar, where salinity levels have reached up to 20 ppt well above the tolerance of most staple crops.
Over 30% of agricultural land is now uncultivable.

Shrimp farming has surged as an alternative, but it’s a corporate-dominated and unsustainable solution:

Smallholders are squeezed out by wealthy investors.
Traditional rice farmers lack the capital, skills, or resources to adapt.
Shrimp farms often destroy the ecosystem by clearing mangroves and polluting water.

Families are being displaced not by disaster, but by economic erosion. Many have migrated to Khulna City or even further to Narayanganj and Dhaka, where they work as day laborers or domestic help.

❝ We didn’t move because of a storm. We moved because the land stopped feeding us. ❞
Minara Begum, 38, now living in a slum in Khalishpur, Khulna

Sundarbans: The Forest No Longer Feeds Us

The Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, once sustained thousands of families. People here lived in symbiosis with the forest harvesting honey, fishing, and collecting nipa palm and wood. Today, this relationship is breaking down.

Tides, Tigers, and Trauma

Climate change in Bangladesh has pushed both nature and humans into crisis:

Frequent embankment breaches cause saline flooding in villages like Gabura, Dacope, and Koira.
Cyclone Aila (2009) and Amphan (2020) devastated these regions, displacing tens of thousands.
Many families have no official title to their land, disqualifying them from government relief or rehabilitation.

As rivers rise, freshwater ponds dry up, and forests recede, people are being pushed off their ancestral lands.

❝ My husband died collecting honey. The forest used to give, now it only takes. I go to town and beg. What else is there? ❞
Rokeya Bibi, widow and mother of three, Gabura Union

The younger generation refuses to stay.

Youth migrate to Jessore, Khulna, or even Chattogram.
Some join the informal labor force; others fall into exploitative jobs or risky migration routes.

The culture of the Sundarbans of resilience, respect for nature, and interdependence is fading, as forced migration dismantles centuries of ecological harmony.

Bhola: An Island Slowly Disappearing

Located at the mouth of the Meghna River, Bhola is Bangladesh’s largest offshore island and one of its most vulnerable.

When the River Becomes a Thief

Bhola has lost over 200 square kilometers of land to river erosion in the past two decades. Entire unions like Char Fasson and Daulatkhan have been partially or fully submerged.

❝ The river took my land, my house, my school. We live on borrowed ground now. ❞
Nadim Hossain, 15, lives in a shelter camp near Barisal

The pace of erosion is cruelly unpredictable. Villagers report:

Homes vanishing overnight
Land turning into riverbed during high tides
Graves and mosques swallowed by waves

Most displaced residents become “char dwellers”, living on newly formed sandbanks or shifting to unregistered, flood-prone land inland. These families:

Have no legal land ownership
Are excluded from social safety nets
Receive minimal or no compensation for their loss

Despite this, Bhola receives less attention than cyclone-affected districts. Its “slow violence” often slips under the radar of national media and policymakers.

❝ I’ve moved three times. Every time, the river catches up. I feel like we’re running from water. ❞
Shahidul Islam, 63, farmer, Bhola District

Common Threads Across All Stories

While each location has its unique context, common patterns emerge in these migration stories:

Displacement is slow and cumulative, not always triggered by one event.
Families lose more than homes they lose identity, dignity, and a sense of belonging.
Women and children bear the brunt of post-displacement vulnerabilities.
Migration is often unplanned, unsafe, and unsupported by formal policy structures.

These stories demand that climate migration be recognized as a humanitarian emergency not just an environmental one.

A Hopeful Note: Resilience Still Lives Here

Despite everything, many communities continue to fight back with the little they have:

Women in Satkhira are forming cooperatives to grow salinity-tolerant vegetables on raised beds.
Youth groups in Bhola are using mobile apps to predict erosion risks and share early warnings.
In the Sundarbans, local NGOs and groups like EcoNature BD are piloting mangrove restoration and climate-smart aquaculture.

These sparks of hope must be supported, scaled, and shared.

What Are the Long-Term Solutions to Climate Migration?

“Migration is a form of adaptation. But adaptation must be safe, planned, and dignified.”
Researcher, ICCCAD, Dhaka

As the waters rise and the land withers, one truth becomes clear: climate migration is here to stay. But while migration may be inevitable in some cases, suffering is not.

To respond with compassion, foresight, and responsibility, we must invest in long-term, people-centered solutions ones that allow vulnerable communities not only to survive but to thrive. These solutions span across agriculture, water management, social safety, urban planning, and international policy.

Let’s explore them in detail.

Adaptation is about enabling people to stay in their homes longer and migrate only when it’s safe and dignified. In Bangladesh, this means strengthening rural systems, ecosystems, and livelihoods against the shocks of climate change.

1. Climate-Resilient Agriculture

In salinity-affected regions like Satkhira, Khulna, and Barisal, traditional rice and vegetable farming is no longer viable. But new climate-smart practices are offering a lifeline:

Salinity-tolerant rice varieties (e.g., BRRI dhan-67) developed by BARC are helping farmers revive cultivation on damaged soils.
Floating gardens traditional ‘dhap’ systems in the south use water hyacinths and bamboo beds to grow vegetables during floods.
Vertical farming and homestead gardening using raised beds and sacks are helping women grow food in limited space.

“I grow spinach and gourds in plastic drums now. It’s not much, but we no longer buy everything.”
Amena Khatun, homemaker, Koyra, Khulna

These techniques not only improve food security but help families stay rooted in their ancestral lands.

2. Community-Based Water Management

Access to clean, fresh water is one of the biggest challenges in coastal and drought-prone areas. In many regions, saltwater intrusion has rendered tube wells useless.

Community-based water solutions include:

Rainwater harvesting tanks in areas like Shyamnagar, supported by local NGOs
Pond sand filtration systems (PSFs) to purify brackish pond water
Solar-powered water pumps to bring water from distant freshwater sources

These solutions are most effective when designed and maintained by communities themselves, ensuring ownership and sustainability.

“We collect rainwater now. It’s clean, and the girls don’t have to walk for hours anymore.”
Mohidul Islam, local water committee member, Assasuni, Satkhira

3. Green Embankments and Mangrove Restoration

Natural barriers are often the best defense. In the Sundarbans buffer zones, the destruction of mangroves and concrete embankments has made villages more vulnerable to floods and storm surges.

A better solution lies in nature-based infrastructure:

Mangrove afforestation strengthens coastal resilience, absorbs wave energy, and supports biodiversity.
Green embankments reinforced with vegetation reduce the impact of storm surges while providing income through plant harvesting.

EcoNature BD and partner organizations are piloting such projects in Koyra and Patharghata, with strong community engagement.

“The trees protect us better than the walls did. And they give us leaves, wood, and crabs too.”
Farhana Akter, fisherwoman, Sundarbans fringe

4. Livelihood Diversification

When farming fails, families need viable alternatives to avoid migration. Successful diversification efforts include:

Backyard poultry farming with climate-resilient breeds
Handicrafts and jute weaving for women, using skills passed down generations
Eco-tourism and honey processing in areas near the Sundarbans
Youth skilling programs for carpentry, tailoring, and digital literacy

“I never thought I could earn from sewing. Now I make clothes for the whole village.”
Rokeya Begum, Satkhira, graduate of EcoNature BD’s women’s livelihood training

Policy and Planning: From Relief to Rights

Adaptation at the local level must be matched with systems-level change policies that empower migrants, protect rights, and integrate climate migration into national frameworks.

1. Mainstreaming Climate Migration into National Plans

Climate migration is currently addressed indirectly in various documents, like the Delta Plan 2100, Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, and BCCSAP. But there is a growing need for:

A dedicated National Climate Migration Framework
Legal recognition of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to climate
Inclusion of migration in disaster risk reduction and urban planning policies

EcoNature BD has advocated for such frameworks in collaboration with local government bodies and CSOs.

2. Strengthening Social Safety Nets for Displaced Families

Many displaced families fall through the cracks of existing safety net programs. Solutions include:

Portable ID cards and ration cards for displaced populations
Expanded cash-for-work programs in disaster-affected regions
Improved targeting mechanisms for women-headed households and people with disabilities

These must be localized, inclusive, and transparent.

“After we moved, we weren’t eligible for any rations. They said our village doesn’t exist on the list anymore.”
Rasel Mia, Bhola migrant in Barisal

3. Urban Inclusion Policies in Secondary Cities

Most climate migrants settle in Dhaka, Khulna, or Chattogram, which are already overburdened. There’s a growing case for:

Strengthening secondary cities like Jessore, Barisal, or Rangpur as climate-resilient hubs
Expanding affordable housing, healthcare, and schooling
Recognizing informal settlements and giving residents basic services

Urban planning must embrace the reality of migration, not criminalize it.

4. Global Climate Finance for Loss and Damage

Bangladesh contributes less than 0.4% of global emissions yet pays the heaviest price. Climate migration is a result of historical emissions by high-income countries.

Key international demands include:

Operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund promised at COP28
Earmarking funds for climate displacement and adaptation, not just mitigation
Supporting locally led adaptation initiatives

❝ Climate migrants are not numbers they are victims of a crisis they didn’t cause. ❞
EcoNature BD Policy Lead, National Adaptation Dialogue 2024

The Way Forward: Dignity, Rights, and Resilience

Solving climate migration requires more than relief it requires justice. It’s about restoring dignity, rebuilding futures, and creating systems where no family is forced to leave home without hope.

At EcoNature BD, we believe:

Migration can be adaptive, but it must be planned, supported, and voluntary.
Communities must be at the center of solutions not as beneficiaries, but as co-creators.
Nature, technology, and traditional knowledge can work together to build a resilient Bangladesh.

Ready to build climate-resilient futures together?

Whether you’re a donor, policymaker, researcher, or citizen, you have a role to play.

Partner with EcoNature BD to:

Support climate-smart agriculture and water systems
Train women and youth in green livelihoods
Advocate for national policy reforms
Fund grassroots adaptation and relocation programs

Let’s transform climate migration from a story of despair to a story of dignity, resilience, and action.

How EcoNature BD Is Responding to Climate Migration

At EcoNature BD, we believe no one should be forced to leave their home to survive. We work directly with vulnerable communities to build climate resilience from the ground up.

Our programs include:

Sustainable livelihood training for displaced women and youth
Community-based disaster preparedness in flood-prone regions
Nature-based solutions like mangrove afforestation and floating gardens
Research and policy advocacy on climate justice and migration
Capacity building workshops with local governments and NGOs

We collaborate with researchers, humanitarian actors, and the people most affected to co-create practical, scalable solutions.

Why Global Climate Action Matters for Bangladesh’s Migrants

Climate migration isn’t just a Bangladeshi issue it’s a global justice issue. Bangladesh emits less than 0.4% of global emissions but bears some of the worst consequences.

What the world must do:

Honor the Loss and Damage Fund agreed at COP28
Include climate migrants in international protection mechanisms
Reduce emissions to prevent further climate tipping points
Support frontline nations like Bangladesh through technology transfer and funding

Stand with Displaced Families! At EcoNature BD, we don’t just tell the story we change it.

Want to support community resilience and climate adaptation?
🤝 Are you a donor, policymaker, researcher, or NGO looking to make impact where it matters?

👉 Partner with EcoNature BD today to co-create a future where migration is a choice, not a necessity.

Let’s empower people to stay rooted where they belong at home.

FAQs:

What is climate migration?

Climate migration refers to the movement of people due to climate-related changes such as floods, sea-level rise, droughts, and cyclones that make living conditions uninhabitable.

Is climate migration a growing problem in Bangladesh?

Yes. Bangladesh is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change, with millions displaced internally every year due to rising seas, salinity, and disasters.

Why are families in Satkhira and Khulna migrating?

These coastal areas are hit hardest by saltwater intrusion, land erosion, and frequent cyclones, which destroy agriculture and housing.

How can climate migration be prevented?

Prevention requires climate-resilient development, stronger disaster risk management, livelihood support, and global cooperation on emissions and finance.

What can I do to help climate migrants?

You can support community adaptation projects through credible organizations like EcoNature BD, advocate for climate justice, or spread awareness.