Child Climate Resilience and Forced Displacement in Bangladesh: Unravelling Factors, Assessing Impact, and Guiding Interventions

As climate change intensifies, its adverse impacts are increasingly displacing children and their families, threatening child rights and long-term well-being. This study investigates the relationship between climate resilience and forced displacement, particularly among children in Bangladesh. Using mixed-methods research, data was collected from both origin (Shyamnagar, Assasuni, Satkhira Sadar) and destination areas (urban slums in Dhaka), including 22 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 14 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), complemented by a quantitative coping mechanisms survey.

Findings indicate that climate resilience is multifaceted, shaped by human, social, economic, physical, environmental, governance, and technological factors. Disruptions in schooling, unsafe infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, poor water access, and fragile livelihoods are key drivers of displacement. Migrants report lower access to food, water, and disaster-coping mechanisms than non-migrants. While some communities rely on traditional disaster adaptation practices, many face constraints in applying these in new environments.

Children play a crucial role in climate resilience, offering insights into displacement dynamics and proposing practical solutions, such as peer education, school shelters, and inclusive disaster preparedness. The study defines child-specific climate resilience as the capacity of children and their families to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from climate shocks through multisectoral support.

Recommendations include integrating climate education into curricula, strengthening WASH and healthcare infrastructure, diversifying livelihoods, and enhancing early warning systems. Special focus is needed on women’s education, mental health support, and community-based preparedness. Save the Children and other stakeholders should invest in holistic, child-centered approaches to mitigate climate-induced displacement and build lasting resilience in vulnerable populations.