Women and climate change-induced migration in Bangladesh
- April 21, 2022
- 9:09 am

Author: Martina Trimarchi
Department: Bangladesh Team
ABSTRACT
This paper will attempt to form an overview of the phenomenon of internal displacement due to climate change, with a specific focus on the impact of gender in internal migration in Bangladesh. The choice of this country comes from the fact that Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of climate change in the world and a place in which gender inequalities persist. The paper explores the concept of climate change as a threat multiplier, then, it addresses the concept of internal displacement and the patterns of this phenomenon due to climate change. In this context, the issue of gender vulnerability is still present and deepened due to extreme weather conditions in addition to the strict gender norms dictated by the purdah system. The paper will analyse the issue in the areas of the Satkhira and the Bhola district in Bangladesh, both coastal areas adjacent to the Bay of Bengal, which are very compromised by typhoons. Thus, gender migration will be provided as the main adaptation strategy linked to social costs and gender-specific challenges.
Disaster displacement figure, IDMC, 2021 Generally, people decide to migrate, temporarily or permanently, because of some economic push factors such as lack of employment and business opportunities as well as access to resources and lower-income, with the hope of earning money and new livelihood opportunities. However, in the case of extreme climate events, people have no choice but to migrate permanently from risky to safe places in terms of occupation and living. High economic and psychological impacts may intensify vulnerability, which pushes them to migrate even though many of them, especially the poor and disadvantaged ones, take shelter in urban slums and informal settlements. Sometimes, slow-climatic events allow people to migrate temporarily. An example is the case of the crop growing duration for the Haor area, large bowl-shaped floodplain depressions located in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh, due to which from November to March people have to stay at home. Salinity intrusion can be another reason to migrate temporarily because during monsoon the salinity line extends to the central part of the country up to 20 km (NHDR, 2021).
- Climate change and gender vulnerability: the case of the Satkhira district
- Climate change-induced migration: the phenomenon of the internal displacement

Disaster displacement figure, IDMC, 2021 Generally, people decide to migrate, temporarily or permanently, because of some economic push factors such as lack of employment and business opportunities as well as access to resources and lower-income, with the hope of earning money and new livelihood opportunities. However, in the case of extreme climate events, people have no choice but to migrate permanently from risky to safe places in terms of occupation and living. High economic and psychological impacts may intensify vulnerability, which pushes them to migrate even though many of them, especially the poor and disadvantaged ones, take shelter in urban slums and informal settlements. Sometimes, slow-climatic events allow people to migrate temporarily. An example is the case of the crop growing duration for the Haor area, large bowl-shaped floodplain depressions located in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh, due to which from November to March people have to stay at home. Salinity intrusion can be another reason to migrate temporarily because during monsoon the salinity line extends to the central part of the country up to 20 km (NHDR, 2021).
- Gender displacement: from the Bhola district to Dhaka
- Bangladeshi government response to gender climate-induced migration

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