Photo : BSS

KHULNA, Oct 26, 2025 (BSS) - A recent research has recommended promoting salt-tolerant agriculture in coastal regions and providing educational and material support, rather than cash aid, to reduce urban poverty among climate-affected communities.

The study, led by Professor Dr. Abdullah Harun Chowdhury of Khulna University's (KU) Environmental Science Discipline, stressed that sustainable solutions require active participation and awareness of local communities.

Funded by the European Union, the research was implemented under a project by Dhaka-based non-profit Educo and the non-governmental organization Uttaran.

The study revealed that people in Bangladesh's south-western coastal belt are facing acute livelihood and health crises as the impacts of climate change intensify. 

Lack of jobs, safe drinking water, and sanitation has forced many families to leave their ancestral homes for urban slums, creating a new humanitarian challenge.

Researchers focused on some of the most climate-vulnerable coastal unions-Buri Goalini, Gabura, and Padmapukur in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira-as well as five slum areas in Satkhira municipality inhabited by climate-displaced people.

The study found that rising salinity and repeated cyclones like Sidr and Aila have destroyed shrimp farms and paddy fields, leaving thousands unemployed. Many families now survive on minimal diets of rice and lentils, while about one-third of respondents reported reducing their daily food intake.

With few local jobs available, many men migrate for six to eight months each year to cities or brick kilns, leading to a sharp rise in female-headed households.

The research also documented severe shortages of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities in the coastal areas, exposing women and girls to serious health risks. 

The study reported uterine complications among 60-74 percent of women and reproductive health issues among 45-66 percent. Damaged embankments have worsened the crisis, limiting access to safe water.

The situation is equally grim for those displaced to Satkhira's urban slums. The study found that most residents, working as rickshaw pullers or day laborers, live in overcrowded settlements with poor drainage, frequent waterlogging, and a severe lack of toilets and clean water.

Children in these slums are especially vulnerable-many are dropping out of school and joining the labor force, trapping families in a cycle of poverty. As most slum dwellers live on government land, they also live under the constant threat of eviction.

To address these interconnected challenges, Professor Dr. Abdullah Harun Chowdhury urged coordinated action targeting both coastal and urban areas.

In coastal regions, he recommended expanding salt-tolerant crops and livestock, improving access to safe water, and ensuring emergency healthcare for women, especially the pregnant.

For urban slums, he advised replacing direct cash aid with material and educational assistance to strengthen sustainable livelihoods.

"Providing tuition, clothing, and meal support can help prevent school dropouts and child labor," Professor Chowdhury told BSS, emphasizing that improved drainage and sanitation systems are also vital to reducing health risks and waterlogging.

He added that coastal and urban crises are deeply linked by climate vulnerability.

"People in the coastal belt are losing their homes due to salinity and unemployment, while those in urban slums face poverty and flooding," he said. "Addressing one requires understanding the other."