Climate change-related migration in Bangladesh

The document analyzes various migration patterns in Bangladesh—internal, cross-border, and international—concluding that displacement and short-term internal migration are the most sensitive to climate change. It highlights the role of extreme weather and river erosion in forcing movement and suggests that while migration can be an adaptation strategy, migrants often face exploitation and insecure living conditions.

• Internal migration in Bangladesh is predominantly rural-to-urban, accounting for two-thirds of total flows, driven by livelihood needs and a decline in farming income.
• Extreme weather events cause significant displacement; approximately 50 million people are affected by disasters every five years, with coasts experiencing severe cyclones on average every three years.
• Riverbank erosion is a major driver of forced migration, rendering 60,000 people landless annually and affecting 4.3 million people living in chars (islands).
• Short-term international migration is a critical economic driver, with remittances in 2012 totaling US$14.17 billion, which was six times higher than overseas development aid.
• Different migration types vary in their climate sensitivity: displacement and short-term internal migration are the most sensitive, while permanent settlement migration is weakly sensitive.
• While migration can serve as a beneficial adaptation strategy, migrants often encounter low wages, exploitative work practices, and inadequate housing and infrastructure.

APA

Martin, M., Kniveton, D., Siddiqui, T., & Islam, M. T. (2013). Climate change-related migration in Bangladesh. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-2-max-24102013.pdf

Chicago

Martin, Maxmillan, Dominic Kniveton, Tasneem Siddiqui, and Mohammad Towheedul Islam. Climate change-related migration in Bangladesh. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2013. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-2-max-24102013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martin |first1=Maxmillan |last2=Kniveton |first2=Dominic |last3=Siddiqui |first3=Tasneem |last4=Islam |first4=Mohammad Towheedul |title=Climate change-related migration in Bangladesh |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=April 2013 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-2-max-24102013.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martin2013climate, author = {Martin, Maxmillan and Kniveton, Dominic and Siddiqui, Tasneem and Islam, Mohammad Towheedul}, title = {{Climate change-related migration in Bangladesh}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-2-max-24102013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }