The southwest coastal belt of Bangladesh from Kuakata to Kalapara, Galachipa, Amtali, Taltali, and Patharghata has long supported generations of fishing communities, farmers, forest resource collectors, and tourism workers. These livelihoods were not only economic activities but symbols of dignity, identity, and deep attachment to land and sea. Today, climate change is rapidly erasing this way of life, turning settled communities into displaced populations. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, salinity intrusion, waterlogging, mangrove loss, and deforestation are degrading the long coastlines of Patuakhali and Barguna. A recent geospatial study identified major migration hotspots in Barguna, indicating a sharp decline in liveability and livelihood security. Other studies confirm that cyclones, flooding, land loss, and declining agricultural productivity are now the primary drivers of displacement. The scale of change is alarming. A 2025 geospatial analysis estimated sea-level rise at around 4.19 mm per year, salinity intrusion up to 3.5 ds/m, rising temperatures, increased rainfall, and recurring floods and cyclones. Internal migration increased from 4.80 percent in 1991-2000 to 11.30 percent in 2000-2010, while seasonal migration from Patuakhali rose by nearly 33.9 percent. Surveys show that almost 40 percent of coastal residents are willing to migrate immediately. Kuakata’s 18-kilometre-long beach, once protected by vegetation belts and coastal forests, now stands visibly degraded. Reduced freshwater supply and rising salinity threaten farming, vegetable cultivation, and freshwater aquaculture once reliable income sources. As land becomes uninhabitable, entire families are forced to migrate seasonally or permanently to urban areas.
Migration, however, is not just physical movement. It is a cultural and social rupture. Many displaced farmers and fishers end up in poorly paid informal jobs such as day labour, rickshaw pulling, construction work, or domestic service. Most climate migrants settle in informal settlements in Dhaka and Chattogram, where overcrowding, insecure housing, health risks, and lack of basic services dominate daily life. These conditions make return to coastal homes increasingly impossible. Health impacts further intensify displacement. Increased salinity, heat, and unsafe water have raised the prevalence of water-borne and water-related diseases. Studies show salinity-affected households face significantly higher risks of illness, while a 2022 survey in Barguna found nearly 88 percent of families had at least one chronically ill member. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, facing complications ranging from skin diseases to reproductive health problems.
This migration is rarely voluntary adaptation; it is forced survival. National estimates suggest nearly 2,000 people migrate to Dhaka every day, putting immense pressure on urban services. Post-cyclone recovery often rebuilds houses without restoring livelihoods, leading to repeated displacement and “failed return.” What is unfolding in Kuakata is not only an environmental crisis, it is a test of national responsibility. Short-term relief cannot address a problem of this scale. Long-term adaptation is essential: resilient livelihoods, freshwater security, coastal protection, planned resettlement, and migrant-inclusive urban planning. Every displaced coastal family represents the human face of climate change. The question is whether the nation will act before “home today” becomes “homeless tomorrow” for millions more.
IFFAT ARA ACHOL
WEST COAST OFFICER,
PROJECT UPOKUL.