Climate-hit people pushed into Khulna’s slums

Successive cyclones, river erosion and rising salinity are forcing thousands of families from Bangladesh’s southwestern coastal belt to Khulna city, where many are finding shelter but little security or stability.

Forced to abandon their homes, farmland and traditional livelihoods, climate-displaced people from Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat are increasingly settling in the city’s informal settlements.

But migration has brought a new set of hardships, including overcrowded housing, irregular incomes, poor sanitation, inadequate access to safe water and limited social protection.

Over the past several decades, cyclones including Sidr, Aila, Bulbul, Amphan and Yaas have repeatedly devastated large parts of the southwestern coast. River erosion has swallowed homes and farmland, while rising salinity has undermined agriculture, fish farming and livestock rearing.

For many families, leaving their villages has gradually become less a choice than a necessity.
“Many people are coming from coastal areas, which is a matter of concern.

They may have been in relatively better positions in their places of origin, but after coming to Khulna city, they are not finding suitable jobs,” said Dr Nazia Hassan, professor of Environmental Science at Khulna University.

“Many of them may now be driving rickshaws or easy bikes. But the authorities concerned in Khulna city do not seem to be paying enough attention to the issue,” she said.

Dr Nazia also pointed to growing pressure on the city’s infrastructure and environment.
“Khulna was not this polluted, nor was traffic congestion this severe before. I believe the arrival of an increasing number of people is contributing to these problems,” she said.

She said the government should provide adequate compensation and support to climate-affected families while they are still living in their places of origin so they are not forced to migrate to cities.
“If they receive compensation from the government while they are still there, they may not need to migrate to the city,” she said.

For those who have already moved to Khulna, she stressed the need for planned rehabilitation while protecting their rights.

The Khulna City Corporation, Khulna Development Authority (KDA) and Khulna Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (KWASA) all have important roles to play in addressing the needs of climate migrants, she added.

Basic services remain a major challenge
For climate-displaced families living in slums, access to basic services remains a daily struggle.
“Ensuring access to water for daily use, hygienic toilets and safe drinking water is essential for people living in slums,” said Dr Abdullah Harun Chowdhury, professor of Environmental Science at Khulna University.

He said the city corporation and local ward representatives could play a crucial role in ensuring these basic facilities. Many slum settlements are located in low-lying areas, leaving residents particularly vulnerable to waterlogging during the rainy season.

“They need both social and government support to cope with these challenges,” Prof Harun said.
He also stressed the need for proper sanitation facilities for women living in slums, particularly during menstruation.

‘We could no longer survive in the village’
The human cost of climate displacement is evident in the stories of families who have lost their homes and livelihoods.

Alamgir Sana, a resident of Maharajpur Union in Koyra upazila, said his family lost their home to river erosion three times. Salinity has also made their farmland uncultivable.

“We could no longer survive in the village, so many of us moved to Khulna in search of work,” he said.
Zulhash Mia, a farmer from Pankhali Union in Dacope, said his land remains submerged for much of the year and crop yields have fallen sharply because of salinity.

“If this situation continues, moving to the city will be our only option,” he said.
Many families who have already arrived in Khulna now work as day labourers, rickshaw and easy-bike drivers, domestic workers and small traders.

But migration does not automatically bring access to public services.

The lack of permanent addresses and official documentation often prevents slum dwellers from accessing government social safety-net programmes. Poor sanitation, limited access to safe drinking water, irregular incomes and inadequate public services further deepen their vulnerability.

Fajor Ali, who moved to Khulna from Dacope, said he once owned a small piece of land but now struggles to pay rent in the city.

“Finding regular work is difficult, and continuing my children’s education has become a challenge. Yet there is nothing left to return to,” he said.

Kohinur Begum, who migrated from Paikgachha four years ago after losing everything to a cyclone, said life in the slum remains difficult because of water shortages, poor drainage and security concerns.
‘They need more than humanitarian assistance’

Organisations working with displaced communities estimate that around 70% of Khulna’s slum dwellers are climate migrants from the southwestern coastal belt.

They estimate that at least 30,000 families from Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat have settled in the city’s slums over the past decade.

Albino Nath, regional director of Caritas Khulna, said the number of climate-displaced people continues to increase every year.

“They are losing not only their homes but also access to education, healthcare, employment and social protection. The issue must be addressed through long-term state planning and legal recognition, not just humanitarian assistance,” he said.

Dr Md Ismail Hossain, assistant professor at the Institute of Disaster Management at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), said climate-induced migration had become a long-term reality for Bangladesh.

“Alongside urban support, Bangladesh needs climate-resilient infrastructure, alternative livelihood opportunities and sustainable rehabilitation programmes in coastal areas. Climate-displaced people must also receive greater attention in national policymaking,” he said.

Experts said tackling climate displacement requires action both at the source and the destination.

Measures to control river erosion, reduce the impacts of salinity, strengthen coastal infrastructure and create alternative livelihood opportunities could help families remain in their communities.

For those who have already migrated, planned settlements, access to basic services, employment opportunities and inclusion in social protection programmes are urgently needed.

Without such measures, experts warn, the flow of climate-displaced people into Khulna and other cities is likely to intensify in the years ahead, turning a climate crisis into a growing urban crisis.