Asia - Bangladesh 
Challenge
Bangladesh needs a structured approach to adaptation for protecting and assisting people internally displaced from their homes and livelihoods by climate-related disasters.
Solution
The 2020 National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management sets policies, planning measures, and financing tools to manage disaster-induced displacement and support people forced to move.
Overview
Rising sea levels, tropical cyclones, and soil salinization are forcing people in Bangladesh to leave their traditional communities, especially in coastal regions. Residents lose fishing grounds and farmland, then move inland or into cities. Without adequate support or compensation, many displaced people settle in urban slums and other unsuitable locations where their quality of life declines.
Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climate change, and disasters linked to climate and weather already drive internal displacement. To respond to this challenge, the government developed the National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management in 2020. The strategy focuses on displacement caused by disasters such as floods, storms, and erosion, and aims to provide protection and assistance to people who must leave their homes because of these events.
The strategy aligns with international frameworks, including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement. It seeks to bring displacement issues into Bangladesh’s disaster risk reduction plans and broader policy responses. The goal is to manage disaster-induced displacement in ways that reduce harm and help affected people rebuild their lives.
Integrating displacement into disaster management
A central feature of the National Strategy is its focus on integrating disaster-induced displacement into both national and local disaster management plans. It treats displacement as a core issue rather than a side effect. When authorities design policies and measures to address climate-related disasters, they are expected to consider how people will be affected, where they may move, and what support they will need.
The strategy encourages policy measures that respond to the reality of displacement. This includes recognizing displaced people in planning processes and clarifying the responsibilities of institutions that support them. This approach seeks to reduce gaps in assistance and clarify how displaced people will receive formal support.
Using data to inform decisions
The strategy highlights the need for better data on disaster-induced displacement. Reliable information is necessary to understand how many people are moving, where they are going, and what conditions they face.
Monitoring human mobility patterns helps the government decide where to direct resources and how to design long-term responses. Data on displacement can inform decisions about shelter, services, and livelihood support, and can guide planning for future climate and disaster risks.
Financing support for displaced people
The National Strategy also addresses the financial side of implementation. It calls for a Displacement Trust Fund that will provide resources for activities under the strategy. This fund is intended to support measures that assist displaced people and help them rebuild their lives after disasters.
The strategy also notes that the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF), which already supports broader climate-related initiatives, can supplement resources for managing disaster-induced displacement.
These elements collectively provide a structured approach for Bangladesh to manage internal displacement linked to disasters and climate change. The strategy focuses on protection and assistance, integration of displacement into disaster management, better data, and dedicated finance so that people forced to move receive more consistent support.
Acknowledgements
This report is based on publicly available information on Bangladesh’s National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management.
Related information
- National strategy on internal displacement 2020 (Bangladesh)
https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/national-strategy-internal-displacement-2020
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