GovTwin / Institution

Bandarban District

Local Gov

The most mountainous and least densely populated district in Bangladesh, dominated by forest, jhum cultivation and an emerging hill-tourism economy among Marma, Mro, Bawm and other indigenous groups. It is the second-poorest district by mean Relative Wealth Index, with the highest rainfall and the steepest, most remote terrain in the country.

Indicators: Meta RWI (HDX); ERA5-Land; MODIS; Sentinel-5P; VIIRS night-lights; GHSL; Hansen v1.11; CHIRPS v2.0. Exposure: GloFAS v2.1, FABDEM, MODIS LST, ACAG PM2.5, WorldPop 2020.

Problems and issues

1. environment The most intense deforestation of any of the assigned hill districts: 121,436.7 hectares of tree-cover loss over 2001-2023 from jhum expansion, plantation conversion and timber extraction, with 420.0 km2 of tree cover remaining in 2021. So what: Large-scale loss of montane forest destabilizes slopes, threatens endemic biodiversity and undermines the very landscape that the district's tourism and watershed depend on. Source: Hansen Global Forest Change v1.11 (UMD) via Google Earth Engine
2. poverty Second-poorest district in the country with a mean Relative Wealth Index of -0.430 (rank 2 of 64), reflecting subsistence jhum livelihoods, extreme remoteness and minimal market integration. So what: Pervasive poverty in the most inaccessible district means generic national programs rarely reach households, requiring delivery models built for roadless, dispersed hill communities. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX), ~2.4 km grid
3. climate disaster The highest annual rainfall among these districts at 3,139 mm, falling on the steepest slopes and amplified by 0.89 C of warming, producing destructive flash floods and landslides. So what: Extreme rainfall on cleared, near-vertical terrain repeatedly isolates upazilas and kills hillside residents, so slope risk must drive where and how people can safely settle. Source: CHIRPS v2.0 precipitation (UCSB Climate Hazards Group) via Google Earth Engine
4. water No permanent surface water bodies (0.0 km2), so hill communities rely entirely on seasonal streams, springs and rainwater that dwindle sharply in the dry season. So what: Dry-season water scarcity forces women and children to fetch water over long distances and raises waterborne-disease risk, making source protection and storage a basic-survival issue. Source: JRC Global Surface Water (permanent water) via Google Earth Engine
5. economy Nightlights surged 241% (3rd-fastest of 64 districts), but from a minimal base and concentrated in a few tourism and administrative pockets, leaving the vast roadless interior unlit and economically marginal. So what: Rapid but spatially narrow growth risks widening intra-district inequality, so electrification and livelihoods support must reach beyond the tourism hubs. Source: VIIRS nighttime lights (annual radiance) via Google Earth Engine

Probable solutions

• Protect remaining montane forest and convert open jhum on the steepest slopes to permanent agroforestry and contour cultivation to slow erosion and landslide risk. Responsible: Bangladesh Forest Department · policy proposal
• Hill-adapted livelihood and off-grid energy package, solar mini-grids, all-season trails and roads, and indigenous-led value chains, prioritizing the roadless interior over tourism pockets. Responsible: Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board / Ministry of CHT Affairs · policy proposal
• Rooftop and community rainwater harvesting plus spring-shed protection and storage to bridge the dry-season gap where no permanent surface water exists. Responsible: Department of Public Health Engineering · policy proposal
• Landslide and flash-flood early-warning with hazard mapping and pre-monsoon evacuation planning for the most exposed upazilas. Responsible: Department of Disaster Management · policy proposal

Upazilas (7)