Climate migrants in Bangladesh

Natural disasters have never made it easy to live in Bangladesh. 

The country is situated in the low-lying Ganges Delta, formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, most of which is less than 10 metres above sea level.

After losing their land to river erosion, Khan (80) and his wife have to camp out in the open with the materials to rebuild their house. Hashail, Munshiganj. Photo: Abir Abdullah

It is a country swamped with annual floods, has a coast battered by cyclones and tornadoes, yet with an interior at times which is subject to drought. 

A woman tries to cover herself from rain while grazing cattle in a field at Shayamnagar, Sathkhira. Photo: Abir Abdullah

With nearly 170 million inhabitants, Bangladesh is also one of the most densely populated countries on earth.

A woman cries as she, along with dozen other people, moves to a safer location as water engulfed their homes after cyclone Aila hit. Photo: Abir Abdullah

As warnings about climate change grow in intensity, Bangladesh is forecast as the scene of increasing numbers of climate migrants. 

Anna, 26, cooking food on a raft outside her kitchen. Nandinar Char, Sariakandi, Bogura. Photo: Abir Abdullah

The floods are becoming more extreme and unpredictable. Crops often get totally destroyed, livestock lost. 

Houses made from bamboo, straw and corrugated iron – made to be portable when the floods come – get washed away. 

A fisherman on a banana raft on the river during flooding. Chilmari, Kurigram district. Photo: Abir Abdullah

People are forced to tear down their houses and move dozens of times as water rises even higher. 

And they return when water recedes to find their former homestead, but it is completely gone. People are having to live on much less land, and disputes are developing.

Sea level appears to be rising and the temperature is increasing day by day. 

With grazing land under water, the cows are on the street, under a mosquito net. Chilmari, Kurigram district. Photo: Abir Abdullah

People in some coastal areas have already switched from rice crops to farming shrimp, as their paddies turned too salty. The weather seems to be growing more extreme and erratic.

A country where many people have never driven a car, run an air-conditioner or done much at all to increase carbon emissions, is ending up fighting climate change on the front line.

Abir Abdullah is an independent photographer. He studied at the Bangladesh Photographic Institute in 1993 and got his diploma in photojournalism from Pathshala Media Institute in 1999. Abir received many awards including The Mother Jones Award 2001 and the 1st Prize in National Disaster category at NPPA best of photojournalism award 2008.