As rising seas and extreme weather events force millions from their homes in Bangladesh, many seek refuge in secondary cities. However, these urban areas, often marked by informal settlements, struggle to provide the safety and stability that migrants need.
- 2.4 million displaced within Bangladesh by climate events in 2024
- Urban informal settlements pose health, housing, and job security risks
- National strategies emerging to better support climate migrants
What happened
In 2024, a series of devastating climate-related disasters forced around 2.4 million people to leave their homes within Bangladesh. The International Monetary Fund warns that rising sea levels could wipe out more than one-seventh of the country’s land and reduce food production by nearly one-third by 2050. As a result, many displaced individuals have moved to secondary cities, hoping to find safer living conditions away from floods, cyclones, and river erosion.
However, research shows that these moves often lead migrants to informal urban settlements that lack proper infrastructure and services. The settlements frequently experience recurring flooding due to poor drainage, insecure housing structures, and an absence of adequate utilities. At the same time, migrants face precarious employment options, such as day labor or rickshaw driving, which provide little financial security or opportunities for upward mobility.
Why it feels good
Despite the challenges, migration remains an adaptive strategy, helping people avoid direct exposure to some of the most severe climate threats in rural and coastal areas. Moving to urban centers can open avenues for access to education, healthcare, and new community networks, fostering resilience among displaced families.
The ongoing attention to the rights and needs of climate migrants in Bangladesh's policy framework offers hope. Government strategies like the National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management and the National Adaptation Plan aim to better protect displaced people by focusing on prevention, protection, and securing durable solutions. This recognition sets the stage for improved support systems that could empower migrants to build safer, more dignified lives.
What to enjoy or watch next
Follow developments in Bangladesh’s urban planning and social protection efforts designed to accommodate climate migrants more effectively. Insights from researchers and policymakers working to integrate climate resilience with migration management will be especially valuable as cities face rising pressures.
Explore stories and reports on how grassroots organizations and local communities are innovating to improve living conditions in informal settlements. Programs enhancing access to jobs, utilities, and health services offer promising models for other vulnerable cities worldwide navigating climate-induced migration.