Migrants as a result of several devastating flood events in Sylhet city, Bangladesh: opportunities and challenges

Samira Jabin, Graduate Student
Shah Md Atiqul Haq, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology

South Asian countries are particularly vulnerable to climate events. Climate events such as sea level rise, flooding and environmental degradation act as push factors that prompt vulnerable people to move to safer areas nearby. The Sylhet city, the northeastern part of Bangladesh, receives a significant number of migrants every year who migrate from different districts, including Sunamganj, due to extreme weather events, especially floods. This study uses a qualitative approach to explore the relationship between climate change and the failure of entitlements among migrants affected by extreme weather events, particularly flooding in Sylhet, Bangladesh. The study involved 25 migrants from Sylhet city who were interviewed in depth. 11 participants took part in two focus group discussions using semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study show that socio-cultural aspects, economic instability, socio-economic vulnerabilities, and legal and administrative hardships contribute to migrants' inability to claim entitlements in their new environment. By understanding these aspects, this study emphasises the urgent need for targeted government interventions to address the socio-cultural, economic and institutional challenges faced by environmental migrants and to ensure their access to basic rights and resources during the post-displacement period caused by climate change-related extreme weather events.

Keywords: Population, Environment, and Climate Change, Migrant Populations and Refugees, Internal Migration and Urbanization

See paper.