Climate change related migration in Bangladesh

This briefing paper examines the socio-economic impacts of migration influenced by climate change in Bangladesh, discussing its role as both a development tool and an adaptation strategy while highlighting the need for protective policies for internal migrants.

• Long-term projections suggest that approximately 9.7 million people in Bangladesh may migrate over the next 40 years from areas facing climate stresses like riverbank erosion, storm surges, and inland flooding. Of these, fewer than one million are attributed specifically to the added impact of climate change, with the majority driven by population growth, economic needs, and existing climate-related stresses.
• Migration can serve as a direct form of adaptation by removing individuals from hazardous locations and enhancing their resilience. It allows people to avoid risk exposure, survive lean productivity seasons, diversify livelihoods against erratic rainfall and soil degradation, and earn income for disaster recovery.
• Remittances from migration contribute to national economic growth in Bangladesh and help households cope with natural disasters. While internal remittances reach more households, international migration on short-term contracts has a higher potential for poverty reduction due to larger wage differentials compared to domestic cities.
• Migration has complex social impacts, including promoting the outward and upward mobility of women and altering local political power and generational dynamics. However, migrants often face severe hardships in destination cities like Dhaka, including exploitation in employment and residence in poor housing that is prone to environmental hazards and lacks basic health and education services.
• To maximize the benefits of migration as an adaptation strategy, the document argues for proactive policies that protect the rights of internal migrants, particularly in the construction, brick kiln, and garment sectors. Recommended interventions include providing urban job skills training, improving workplace safety and health, and ensuring access to healthcare and education in destination areas.

APA

Kniveton, D., Black, R., Martin, M., 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-4-max-29102013ed.pdf

Chicago

Kniveton, Dominic, Richard Black, Maxmillan Martin, 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-4-max-29102013ed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kniveton |first1=Dominic |last2=Black |first2=Richard |last3=Martin |first3=Maxmillan |last4=Siddiqui |first4=Tasneem |last5=Islam |first5=Mohammad Towheedul |title=Climate change related migration in Bangladesh |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=July 2013 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-4-max-29102013ed.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kniveton2013climate, author = {Kniveton, Dominic and Black, Richard and Martin, Maxmillan and Siddiqui, Tasneem and Islam, Mohammad Towheedul}, title = {{Climate change related migration in Bangladesh}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, month = jul, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/PB-4-max-29102013ed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }