Climate migrants in Bangladesh face new hazards in secondary cities despite national policy efforts
Internal migration in Bangladesh, often viewed as an adaptive response to climate-related disasters, frequently leads to new vulnerabilities for displaced populations. A study published in Climate and Development indicates that migrants relocating to secondary cities in the southwest often encounter a portfolio of hazards, including inadequate drainage, insecure housing, and precarious employment. While Bangladesh has established policy frameworks such as the 2021 National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management and the National Adaptation Plan, researchers note significant gaps in implementation. These include a lack of comprehensive migration tracking, political interference in informal settlements, and urban interventions that fail to explicitly address human mobility. Furthermore, an International Institute for Environment and Development working paper from February 2025 reported that 92% of surveyed climate-displaced people in Pirojpur and Sylhet experienced forms of modern slavery, underscoring the severe risks faced by those seeking safety.
Key points
- Disasters displaced 2.4 million people within Bangladesh in 2024.
- Migrants moving to secondary cities often trade climate hazards for urban risks like poor utility services and unstable work.
- A February 2025 study found 92% of participants in Pirojpur and Sylhet experienced modern slavery.
- National policies like the 2021 National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management exist but face implementation challenges.
- Researchers highlight a lack of municipal data on migrant movement as a barrier to effective urban planning.
The limits of migration as an adaptive strategy
While migration is often considered an adaptive strategy to escape environmental threats like flooding and sea-level rise, research suggests it does not guarantee safety. Roland D. Smith, a doctoral researcher at the University of East Anglia, describes the experience as a trade-off where migrants leave one set of hazards only to face a new portfolio of risks in secondary cities.
These risks include recurring flooding due to inadequate drainage, insecure housing, and difficulty securing reliable employment. Precarious work, such as day laboring in brickfields, often prevents families from improving their living conditions or moving elsewhere, effectively limiting their social mobility.
Policy gaps and implementation challenges
Bangladesh has adopted several policy instruments to manage displacement, including the 2021 National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management and the National Adaptation Plan. However, experts point to a disconnect between these policies and the reality on the ground.
Munia Tahsin, a researcher at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development, found that urban interventions in the National Adaptation Plan do not explicitly address human mobility. Additionally, Md Ekhtekharul Islam of the University of Copenhagen notes that political interference in informal settlements often dictates access to resources, while municipalities lack the detailed records necessary to plan for the needs of incoming migrants.
Why it matters
The findings indicate that current urban planning in Bangladesh often fails to protect climate migrants, leaving them vulnerable to new economic and environmental risks despite existing national policies.
What we know
- In 2024, 2.4 million people were displaced within Bangladesh due to disasters.
- A study published in Climate and Development reports that climate migrants in southwestern Bangladesh face hazards including inadequate drainage and insecure housing.
- An International Institute for Environment and Development working paper from February 2025 found 92% of participants in Pirojpur and Sylhet experienced modern slavery.
- The Government of Bangladesh adopted the National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management in 2021.
What remains unclear
- The effectiveness of the National Adaptation Plan's urban interventions in addressing human mobility remains a subject of debate among researchers.
- The extent to which political interference impacts the distribution of resources in all migrant destination areas is not fully quantified.
