Bangladesh Climate Migrants Face New Vulnerabilities in Unprepared Cities

Annual coastal flood damages across 30 developing economies in Asia and the Pacific could surge to between $172 billion and $199 billion by the year 2050, according to a report released by the Asian Development Bank. The report warns that without immediate adaptive investments, these escalating costs could reach up to $739 billion annually by 2100.

Regional coastlines currently generate $7 trillion in annual economic output while supporting more than 400 million people living within 10 kilometers of the sea, Mongabay reported.

Economic Losses and Growing Vulnerabilities Across Coastal Asia

The Asian Development Bank study projects that annual damages from coastal flooding will escalate from approximately $27 billion today to nearly twentyfold by the end of the century under high-emissions scenarios. In major coastal cities such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Kolkata, and Mumbai, severe floods that historically occurred once every century could become annual occurrences by 2100.

Small island nations face disproportionately severe risks, with annual flood damages potentially consuming between 30% and 60% of their gross domestic product by 2100. Furthermore, trade disruptions affecting regional ports put roughly $40 billion to $45 billion in economic activity at risk each year.

Secondary Cities in Bangladesh Face Influx of Climate Migrants

Inside Bangladesh, internal displacement driven by environmental pressures displaced 2.4 million people in 2024 alone. The International Monetary Fund predicts that rising seas could eliminate more than one-seventh of the country’s land area and nearly one-third of its food production by 2050.

While migration is frequently viewed as an adaptive strategy to escape immediate hazards like river erosion and cyclones, a study published in the journal Climate and Development reveals that relocation often exposes migrants to new vulnerabilities.

Employment Exploitation and Policy Implementation Gaps

An International Institute for Environment and Development working paper published in February 2025 found that 92% of participants studied in southern and eastern Bangladesh experienced at least one form of modern slavery, ranging from withheld wages to physical violence and restricted movement.

Although Bangladesh adopted a National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management in 2021 and established a National Adaptation Plan, municipal authorities lack detailed demographic tracking mechanisms.

Financing Coastal Protection and Adaptation Measures

The Asian Development Bank estimates that maintaining flood damages near current levels across its developing member economies requires annual investments between $9 billion and $19 billion in coastal protection infrastructure. Such spending could successfully avert between $178 billion and $360 billion in yearly damages.

Yevgeniy Zhukov, director general of the Asian Development Bank’s Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, emphasized the urgency for risk-informed planning.

Coasts are the overlooked engine-room of Asia and the Pacific’s growth but are retreating in the face of rising seas and escalating hazards.

Yevgeniy Zhukov

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