BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

HUMAN SECURITY PERSPECTIVE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MIGRATION IN BANGLADESH: A CASE STUDY OF SATKHIRA DISTRICT

Author: Sajid Karim

DOI Link: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2024v45n1a5

ABSTRACT

Environmental factors are becoming increasingly influential in people’s decision to migrate. As a disaster hot spot and one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, environmental migration is becoming a hard reality in Bangladesh. When these vulnerable people reach their destinations, they are exposed to a spectrum of human security concerns. The paper, based on a case study of the Satkhira district in the southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh, explores the human security concerns of environmental migrants and offers suggestions to improve the situation. Drawing data from both primary and secondary sources, the paper examines the concept of human security under three basic pillars—freedom from fear, want, and indignity—and identifies lack of food, water, health, and environmental security, fear of violence, abuse, exploitation, lack of dignity, humiliation, discrimination, and right to self-determination as main concerns of environmental migrants. To improve the situation, the paper suggests a set of recommendations for both state and non-state actors that it believes will help devise policies and strategies conducive to protecting environmental migrants in Bangladesh.