Trend and Impact Analysis of Internal

Displacement due to the Impacts of Disaster

and Climate Change
Sanjib Kumar Saha
sanjib.saha@cdmp.org.bd

Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP II)

Background
Greatest single impact of climate change might be on human
migration/displacement
IPCC estimates 150 to 200 million people may be displaced by
2050 globally of which more than 20 million in Bangladesh
It is essential to have appropriate strategy to address this
emerging issue of displacement
CDMP II took an initiative on in-depth assessment and
analysis regarding the trends and impacts
Center for Environmental and Geographic Information
Services (CEGIS) conducted the study

Study Objectives
Develop a database on internally displaced people,
disaggregated by gender, age and other relevant
characteristics (1981 2011).
Analyze social, economic, environmental impacts of internal
displacement on affected population & hosting communities
Investigate the destinations of the internally displaced people
and their conditions
Prepare the trend of population displacement in terms of
prevalence, incidence, and options (up to 2030 or beyond)

Methodology
Multi-stage Random Sampling technique was selected for
conducting the study
Sample size for household survey in the place of origin was 816 HHs
in nine districts & 25% of that for the place of origin (i.e. 204)
Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected. Quantitative
data was collected through conducting household survey
Desk review, FGDs, face-to-face interviews, brainstorming/
consultative workshops and case studies
The study was conducted in most hazard prone 9 districts, 14
upazilas

Methodology Study Sites

Results & Findings: Over all Situation

State/category
of displacement

Places

Origin of
Displacement

Destination
of
Displacement

Households distribution in terms of selected disasters

Total HHs

% of
HHs

7
(4%)

117

13

132
(84%)

129
(82%)

429

46

270
(79%)

270

29

272

272

136

136

816

1
(0.4%)

68
(20%)

20
(13%)

21
(14%)

110

12

273

340

156

157

926

100

Floods

Riverbank
erosion

Water
logging

Salinity

Never
displaced
Temporarily
displaced
In between
temporary &
permanent

104
(38%)

2
(1%)

4
(3%)

168
(62%)

Subtotal of origin

Permanently
displaced

Grand total

Results & Findings: Displacement due to Floods

About 62% of HHs are displaced
temporarily and only 0.4% were
displaced permanently
Affected people tended to be
displaced to their neighbours and
relatives houses, or nearby
embankments, elevated roads,
cyclone shelters and other structures
Almost 52% male and 48% female
were displaced either temporarily or
permanently due to floods and
among them about 15% are children,
about 69% are adults and about 2%
are the elderly

Results & Findings: Displacement due to River Erosion

54% males and 46% female who
were displaced due to riverbank
erosion
About 29% of riverbank erosion
affected displaced populations are
directly or indirectly engaged in
agriculture
In the case of riverbank erosion, all
HHs were displaced due to push
factors i.e. riverbank erosion eroded
homestead and agricultural lands and
they have no alternative options
other than migration to new areas

Results & Findings: Displacement due to Salinity

About 14% of HHs permanently
displaced, 82% of HHs temporarily
displaced
Temporarily displaced households
comprised those who were displaced
due to a very severe cyclonic storm
(namely SIDR in 2007) and a severe
storm surge (namely AILA in 2009)
In salinity ingress areas, there is a
chronological history of adopting
diverse occupations, agriculture was
the dominant occupation in the study
area

Results & Findings: Displacement due to Water Logging

About 13% of HHs displaced
permanently, about 84% of
households were displaced
temporarily and about 3% of
households living there
Found that 48% males and 52%
female were displaced due to water
logging among whom about 23% are
children
About 35% of affected displaced
populations directly/indirectly
engaged in agriculture among whom
15% are agricultural labourers

Spatial Distribution due to Flood: Origin and Destination

The map delineates the spatial
distribution of origin and
destination. The green colour
represents origin and the circle
represents destination.
Here, the places of destination are
circled since displaced households
are living in a scattered manner
and cannot be identified within a
definite administrative boundary

Results & Findings: Trend of Displacement

About 11% were displaced in 1988, about 19% in

1998 and about 18% in 2004. In these years very
severe floods had taken places
Almost all of the households were displaced
temporarily while only one household was
displaced permanently
Displacement due to salinity intrusion was intensive in
the years 2007 and 2009. Two terrible natural
disasters (SIDR in 2007 and AILA in 2009) occurred in
those years.
Both disasters destroyed a large number of small and
large infrastructures including embankments, road
networks, institutions etc. and eventually pushed
saline water into the main land

Trend of Global Internal Displacement (Yonetani, 2012)

The graph shows the displacement due
to both geo physical and climate
related disasters from 2008-2011
According to a report from the
Norwegian Refugee Councils Internal
Displacement Monitoring Centre, at
least 42.3 million people were newly
displaced by sudden-onset disasters
caused by natural hazard events in
2010 (CICERO, 2011)

Impacts on Host Communities

Increasing population density: The people in places of destination
are concerned that the population density has increased in their
areas
Pressure on natural resources: The natural resources and the
environment of the places of destination come under increasing
pressure
Sharing of social amenities: In places of destination, people have to
share social amenities like ponds, tube-wells, latrines and disease
outbreaks
Competition in labor market: There exists surplus labor that
eventually decreases wage rate and increases competition in the
labor market
Weakening of social bonding: Local people reported that social
bonding has weakened among both displaced and host populations.

Limitations of the Study

Lack of clear definition: No internationally recognised term that
defines people who move for environmental reasons. Terms and
concepts such as environmental migration, climate change-induced
migration, ecological or environmental refugees, climate refugees
Lack of statistics: There are no global statistics on migratory
movements prompted by natural disasters. At best, there are
estimates and indications that can be derived from displacement
data relating to particular crises or other data on general trends
The complexity of linking migration to environmental events:
Some authors argue that environmental displacement is a complex
and challenging issue not because the environmental impacts
cannot be fully known

Conclusion/recommendations
In Bangladesh, two action plans NAPA (2009) BCCSAP (2009).
have indicated migration as an impact of environmental hazards
Displacement owing to either natural or man-made (e.g climate
change, socio-economic) reasons have a significant impact on
people, their livelihoods, the surrounding environment and on
the utilisation of resources
In order to address the issue of displacement, 3 important
considerations are: i) adoption of migration or displacement
management strategies; ii) implementation of disaster
management strategies; and iii) implementation of migration or
displacement management strategies through developing a
strong institutional basis

Thank You
Find the report Trend and Impact Analysis of Internal Displacement due to the Impacts of Disaster and Climate Change at

http://www.kmp.dmic.org.bd/handle/123456789/234