Climate change and migration: a case study from rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Migration in response to climate change should not be seen as a failure to adapt, but as a strategy undertaken to increase household resilience. This will, however, happen when migration is planned and supported and not under distress. This article focuses on people's movements in the aftermath of cyclone Aila. It looks at factors influencing migration in five coastal villages in Bangladesh, and their migration experience.

Keywords:

• climate change
• migration
• vulnerability
• adaptation
• Bangladesh

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to Dr Thomas Tanner for comments on an earlier draft of this paper submitted as a dissertation toward the fulfillment of an MA at the Institute of Development Studies, UK

Notes

1. The term ‘environmental migration’ has a contested history in literature but is broadly defined as the phenomenon wherein environmental factors (such as floods, desertification, land erosion, sea-level rise etc.) act as catalysts to push people on the move.

2. Bangladesh is divided into six divisions, which are further sub-divided into the administrative units of districts, sub-districts and unions. The study was carried out in two districts – Satkhira and Khulna – both falling under the Khulna Division. The five villages selected fall under the sub-districts of Shyamnagar, Koyra and Khulna.

3. Selective sampling involves choosing households with specific characteristics that are relevant for the purpose of research. Here, the intent was to look for households that had a recent history of migration, and not interview all the households in the village.

4. A country is defined as an LDC if it consistently ranks low on socio-economic indicators such as gross domestic product, gross national income, and human welfare as measured through the Human Development Index. For details see http://www.un.org/special-rep/ohrlls/ldc/ldc%20criteria.htm

5. US$1=71 Bangladeshi Taka approximately.

6. Villagers reported three storms and one cyclone in a span of six months.

7. 1 Bigha is equal to 1600 square yards in Bangladesh.

8. The FWP is a nationwide rural employment scheme operating in Bangladesh since 1975. After Aila, villagers received 5kg of rice per day for performing construction work on the embankment under the FWP.

9. 3000 Taka is approximately US$43.