Understanding Vulnerability to Natural Hazards of Displaced Persons in Cox’s Bazar

Jack Dano, Carly Ching and Muhammad H Zaman ()
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Jack Dano: Center on Forced Displacement, Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Carly Ching: Center on Forced Displacement, Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Muhammad H Zaman: Center on Forced Displacement, Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, USA

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-11

Abstract: Refugee settlements are often positioned around natural borders, which often have a heightened danger of environmental hazards. Here, we aim to better understand why settlements are in environmentally vulnerable land and what social and physical factors contribute to this phenomenon. To do this, we present a holistic narrative that maps climate threats among displaced populations in Cox’s Bazar district, Bangladesh, while contextualizing environmental vulnerability by incorporating historical and social constraints. Using ArcGIS, an online mapping program, we illustrate the overlap between different climatic events and how these vulnerabilities compound and intensify one another. We also discuss the history of natural migration and settlement pertaining to the physical landscape and the sociopolitical reasons refugees remain in environmentally vulnerable areas. Overall, we find an emerging trend that may be broadly applicable to instances of forced displacement; physical settlement locations near international borders demarcated by landforms may be more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and extreme climate events. However, physical, social, and political reasons often cement these locations. Recommendations include enhancing the resilience of refugee camps through infrastructure improvements, sustainable land management, and reforestation efforts, which would benefit both the environment and local and refugee communities.

Keywords: refugee; natural hazards; displacement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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