Climate change -related migration in Bangladesh

The document examines climate-induced migration in Bangladesh, highlighting it as an effective adaptation strategy for rural populations facing droughts, floods, and cyclones. While migration helps diversify livelihoods, migrants often face precarious living conditions in urban slums. The brief argues for a policy shift to support internal migration through improved infrastructure and services in destination areas.

• Rural residents in Bangladesh perceive increasing climate stresses, including extreme summer temperatures, water stress from reduced rainfall and salinisation, and riverbank erosion, which make traditional livelihoods like farming and fishing increasingly difficult.
• Migration is used as a proactive and effective adaptation strategy to diversify livelihoods and reduce household vulnerability to climatic shocks, with patterns varying by region: erosion often displaces entire communities, while cyclone-hit and drought-prone areas see more individual or male-led migration.
• Migration decisions are primarily driven by personal perceptions of environmental threats and social norms, relying heavily on informal networks of family and friends for information and resources rather than government institutions.
• Despite its utility as a coping mechanism, internal migration often leads to increased vulnerability as migrants frequently reside in urban slums and informal settlements exposed to hazards such as urban flooding.
• Current policies in Bangladesh tend to focus on international migration and may implicitly discourage internal movement by viewing it as a failure to adapt locally, which can trap poor populations in high-risk environments.
• The study recommends that the government provide better support for internal migrants through safe infrastructure, housing, healthcare, and education in destination cities, alongside skills training for formal sector employment.

APA

Martin, M., Kniveton, D., & Siddiqui, T. (2012). Climate change -related migration in Bangladesh. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-1-max-24102013.pdf

Chicago

Martin, Maxmillan, Dominic Kniveton, and Tasneem Siddiqui. Climate change -related migration in Bangladesh. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2012. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-1-max-24102013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martin |first1=Maxmillan |last2=Kniveton |first2=Dominic |last3=Siddiqui |first3=Tasneem |title=Climate change -related migration in Bangladesh |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=November 2012 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-1-max-24102013.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martin2012climate, author = {Martin, Maxmillan and Kniveton, Dominic and Siddiqui, Tasneem}, title = {{Climate change -related migration in Bangladesh}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2012}, month = nov, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-1-max-24102013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }