As Bangladesh grapples with the impact of climate emergency, another equally serious crime — human trafficking — has shown an increase, becoming a cause for serious concern. Based on fieldwork in rural areas where the economic impact of climate emergency is felt most strongly, Aminur Rahman and Quazi Arunim Rahman discuss the interconnections between climate migrants and human trafficking.

Although the government of Bangladesh is working hard to stop human trafficking, it falls short in the minimal requirements to combat it. Bangladesh has remained on Tier 2 of the US State Department’s Report on Human Trafficking in 2023 because of increased government efforts despite the challenges posed by the Covid–19 pandemic to combat trafficking. Bangladesh is also a country on the frontline of climate change, facing serious challenges regarding environmental degradation.

In this post, we examine how these two — human trafficking and climate change — are interconnected. We examine the factors behind this interlinked development, studying the most climate-vulnerable people in villages in Bangladesh. Through Focused Group Discussions (FDG; see Photo 1) and Key Informant Interviews (KII) with affected communities and government officials, we discuss how climate change impacts livelihoods and forces migration, leading to exploitative conditions and trafficking.

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Studies show that climate-induced displacement is closely tied to changes in land use and ownership. Historically, migration trends have risen due to growing climate vulnerability in flood- and drought-affected regions. Research has also alluded to climate change accelerating old forces of destruction, creating new patterns of displacement, and fueling an explosion of rapid, chaotic urbanisation.

Climate change has severely affected the livelihoods of many people, particularly those dependent on farming, aquaculture and fisheries. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and extreme weather events such as cyclones and floods — now frequent occurrences in Bangladesh — disrupt agricultural cycles, reduce fish yields and damage physical infrastructure of the local community. In coastal and riverine areas like Satkhira, Barishal and Patuakhali farmers and fishing communities face significant challenges.

Our FDGs showed that irregular rainfall and prolonged droughts have decreased crop productivity. Moreover, extracting thousands of gallons of groundwater for agricultural irrigation extends the drought period in some areas. For instance, farmers in Patuakhali reported that river erosion and floods frequently destroy their crops and homes, leaving them financially destitute​​. Similarly, fish farmers in Satkhira mentioned that heatwaves and overflow of extreme salinity in local water reservoirs reduces fish yields and increase diseases in fish farms.

Photo 1: FDG in Barishal district, Banaripara upazila, 2023 © Authors. Please do not use without permission.

As livelihoods collapse due to such havoc wrought by climate change, and in the absence or lack of other income-generating activities, many people are forced to migrate. This migration is often driven by economic necessity rather than choice, as people seek opportunities to support their families. However, this migration is fraught with dangers. The FDGs and KIIs highlighted that many individuals migrate to urban centres like Dhaka or even abroad (particularly to the Middle East) in search of work. Unfortunately, these migrants often face exploitation and unsafe conditions. One FDG participant from Satkhira said that due to financial desperation, young men and women are tempted by traffickers with promises of high-paying jobs abroad, only to find themselves trapped in forced labour or sexual exploitation​​. Farmers from Patuakhali reported that seasonal migration for work often leads to precarious employment conditions. Many migrants end up working in harsh environments with little or no legal protections such as in brickfields, making them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse that can lead to modern slavery.

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The interconnection between climate-induced migration and human trafficking is stark. Economic hardship and lack of opportunities force people into situations where they are easily exploited by traffickers who target the vulnerability created by environmental and economic instability, offering false promises of security and economic prosperity. The FDGs revealed that the most vulnerable groups include young women and children. In several cases, young girls from impoverished families promised jobs in urban areas ended up in brothels or became victims of forced labour. Similarly, young men seeking work abroad often found themselves in debt bondage, working in inhumane conditions with no way to return home​​​​.

The interplay between climate change and human trafficking in Bangladesh highlights a critical need for comprehensive and integrated solutions. The UN Migration Reports show that if the country does not take measures for climate change immediately then Bangladesh will lose 11 per cent of land, and one out of seven persons will be displaced by 2051. The government of Bangladesh has instituted numerous plans and projects to combat these issues, including those  that prioritise thematic and hotspot-specific strategies, policies and programs, to address regional imbalances and disparities in development and resource allocation, population size, occurrence of natural disasters, and production of climate/environmental migrants.

Despite awareness of the dual and interlinked crises of climate change and human trafficking, government responses have been mixed and often inadequate. The KIIs with district-level government officials highlighted some efforts but also revealed significant gaps in policy and implementation. Officials from Patuakhali mentioned ongoing efforts to improve disaster management systems, such as early warning systems and the construction of cyclone shelters.

However, these measures are often insufficient to address the scale of the problem. Many affected communities reported receiving little to no support during or after disasters, exacerbating their vulnerability​​. The KIIs also showed a lack of effective legal frameworks to combat human trafficking in the context of climate change. While there are laws against human trafficking, with little understanding of what constitutes human ‘trafficking’ as per existing law, its enforcement is weak, and there is a serious lack of coordination between agencies dealing with climate change and those addressing human trafficking. This lack hampers efforts to protect vulnerable populations and prevent trafficking​​. Concerned authorities in the country along with other stakeholders at home and abroad need to respond urgently to overcome this challenge before it is too late.

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This blogpost may not be reposted by anyone without prior written consent of LSE South Asia Centre; please e-mail southasia@lse.ac.uk for permission.

Banner image © Israfil Molla, Khulna City, Bangladesh, 2020, Unsplash.

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