Low-lying Bangladesh is crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers that empty into the Bay of Bengal. Located in the floodplains of rivers make Bangladesh vulnerable to natural disasters like cyclones, flooding, tidal surges, and riverbank erosion.
Every year, thousands of people in Bangladesh lose their homes, properties, and farmlands to devastating river erosion, leaving them penniless and driving them to extreme poverty.
River erosion forces people to migrate and jeopardizes their lives, livelihoods, food, health and education.
In Bangladesh, the 11 districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Sirajganj, Tangail, Manikganj, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Faridpur, Shariatpur, and Madaripur are most affected by river erosion because of their close proximity to major rivers — Padma, Meghna, Jamuna and Brahmaputra.
In 2018, riverbank erosion along the Padma has been especially bad and has caused havoc among villagers in Naria sub-district of Shariatpur district in central Bangladesh.
