Households Migration, and Intend to Migration due to a Climate-induced Flash Flood Disaster in the Lower Meghna Estuary of Coastal Bangladesh: A Case Study

Keywords: Climate change, Bangladesh, Flash flood, Migration, Non-Migration, Coastal areas, Empirical studies
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Friday
Session Start / End Time: 2/25/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/25/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 24

Abstract

Bangladesh, a hotpot of global climate change, ranks at the top of the “most vulnerable countries” (MVCs) The country has already reported evidence and adverse effects of the event, particularly in its coastal areas, through increased frequency, variability, and severity of weather and climate-related rapid onset disasters, such as tropical cyclones, storm surges, coastal flooding, and riverbank erosion. Additionally, many scientists are now believed that slow onset disasters like land subsidence, growing salinization, and sea level rise (SLR) in the Bay of Bengal bordering southern coast of Bangladesh. As a consequence of these rapid and slow onset disasters, people of such area have been migrating to inland perceived to be safer. Based on an empirical study, this paper examines actual and intention to migration and non-migration of a coastal area within one year after a sudden onset disaster. In particular, we empirically investigate whether individual households in lower Meghna Estuary of Kamalnagar upazila, Lakshimpur district, Bangladesh, migrated or intend to migrate in safer areas or stay after a flash flood event. The data collected from the study sites provided support of non-migration of the estuary residents after the 2020 August flash flood.