Climate, Security, and Conflict in Bangladesh

The study of the relationship between climate and conflict is complex and evolving. It is widely recognized that there is no simple one-to-one relationship between climate change and conflict. Climate change impacts are mediated by contextual factors including institutional, political, and socioeconomic variables.

Bangladesh, with its significant climate challenges, provides a unique study area for exploring the climate-conflict relationship. Globally recognized as a climate-vulnerable hotspot, this country grapples with recurring environmental issues such as tidal surges, salinity, frequent flooding, river erosion, and cyclones. These challenges have consistently threatened the food security and livelihoods of a significant rural population. An ethnographic study is being conducted on climate-affected Hatiya Island to investigate the relation between environmental challenges and climate-related issues and a complex web of vulnerabilities intersecting with climate-related issues and their potential impact on conflicts, with a specific focus on the perspectives of fishers and women.

Project team

Ma Suza
Wageningen University & Research

Prof. Han van Dijk
Wageningen University & Research

Dr. Jeroen Warner
Wageningen University & Research

Dr. Grazia Pacillo
CGIAR