Dhalchar union island facing rapid erosion, thousands displaced

BANGLADESH-RE-1002

Dhalchar union island facing rapid erosion, thousands displaced

Bangladesh

Borishal division

Bhola District

Dhalchar Union

2003

Ongoing

Dhalchar Union, a remote coastal island in Bangladesh’s Bhola District, is rapidly disappearing due to severe river erosion and tidal surges. Located at the estuary where the Meghna River meets the Bay of Bengal, the island lacks any protective embankment, leaving approximately 12,000 residents highly vulnerable to rising sea levels and worsening cyclones. Over the last two decades, the habitable area has drastically shrunk from 15 square km to just 3.5 square km. Local council records indicate an even more dire reduction, from 12 square km at its peak to only 2 square km currently.

The humanitarian impact is profound. Once home to roughly 17,000 people (3,500 families), the population has dwindled to approximately 8,000 people (1,000 families). For those remaining, life is a cycle of disaster; many have been forced to move their homes up to five times as the river encroaches further into human settlements. The erosion is not merely taking land but entire livelihoods. Historically a center for Hilsa fishing – producing Taka 200 crore worth of fish annually – the island’s economy has collapsed as markets and infrastructure wash away. Saltwater intrusion from tidal surges has submerged agricultural land, making crop cultivation impossible and leaving the majority of families destitute.

Displaced residents frequently face permanent loss with no viable path to return as their lands are completely submerged. While some move to neighboring islands like Char Gazaria or build makeshift shelters along mainland embankments, the majority seek refuge in the overcrowded slums of major cities like Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna. In Dhaka’s Kallyanpur slum, nearly the entire population originates from coastal districts like Bhola, having arrived in search of food and work after losing everything to the river.

Despite repeated formal requests from local leaders to rehabilitate displaced residents on government-owned “khas” land, these efforts are stalled by administrative hurdles regarding forest department regulations.

Primary Climate Hazard Displacement

Direct

Climate

Multi-hazard

Slow

Erosion

Sea Level Rise

Yes

Meghna Estuary Coastal Char Zone

9000

2499

Forced

80

permanent

Mixed pattern

3

Yes

mixed

1500

260

Kallyanpur slum (Dhaka)

No

mixed

No stable source of income, Daily wage labor

Subsistence farming, Livestock herding, Fishing or aquaculture

limited

none

Land-for-Land Compensation, Allocation of Rehabilitation Land, Permanent Housing, Riverbank Protection Measures, Embankment Construction

Yes

No

Inadequate Compensation, State Failed to Prevent Erosion/Flooding, Failure of Embankment or Protection Infrastructure, Repeated Displacement Without Durable Solution, Loss of Livelihood, Loss of Agricultural Land

Yes

No

Bangladesh’s response to climate-induced displacement operates through a fragmented policy framework rather than a dedicated legal regime. The National Adaptation Programme of Action identifies large-scale displacement risks from sea-level rise and highlights resettlement as a potential adaptation strategy. The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (2009), particularly under its disaster management pillar, emphasizes rehabilitation and planned resettlement, often operationalized through cluster village approaches on khas land. Land redistribution is enabled through state control over khas land under the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act and related administrative mechanisms, while the Forest Act (1927) restricts conversion of reserved forest land without government approval, creating institutional conflicts in relocation planning. Implementation occurs through programmes such as the Ashrayan Project, which provides housing and livelihood support to landless and disaster-affected populations.

Non-governmental organisation, Media, Academic

As floods and erosion consume the river islands of Bangladesh, thousands are getting displaced

https://scroll.in/article/1029942/as-floods-and-erosion-consume-the-river-islands-of-bangladesh-thousands-are-getting-displaced

Erosion-hit Dhal Char people want rehabilitation on khas landhttps://www.observerbd.com/news/186222?

https://www.observerbd.com/news/186222?

High