GovTwin / Institution
Barguna District
Local Gov
A southern coastal district on the Bay of Bengal bordering the Sundarbans, with an economy of paddy, marine and inland fishing, and small ports. It is one of the poorest and most cyclone-exposed districts in the country, repeatedly in the landfall path of major Bay of Bengal storms.
Wealth rank 6/64
(1 = poorest district)
Warming +0.41°C
(1980s–2020s)
Air NO₂ #55/64
(1 = most polluted)
Night-lights +282%
(2014–23 activity)
Built-up 13 km²
Forest loss 22 ha
(2001–23)
Rainfall 2,281 mm/yr
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
- poverty Among the poorest districts nationally, with a mean Relative Wealth Index of -0.244 ranking 6th-poorest of 64, driven by remoteness, weak connectivity, and an economy tied to climate-exposed fishing and farming. So what: Such low baseline wealth means repeated cyclone losses are rarely recouped, trapping coastal households in a cycle of damage and indebtedness. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX), ~2.4 km grid
- climate disaster A frontline Bay of Bengal coastal district receiving heavy annual rainfall (2,281 mm) and sitting directly in the cyclone and storm-surge corridor, with the highest recent daytime surface temperatures of the four (27.6 C). So what: Recurrent surge and flooding destroy embankments, homes, and the fishing fleet, so disaster response and reconstruction dominate the local fiscal burden. Source: CHIRPS v2.0 precipitation (UCSB Climate Hazards Group) via Google Earth Engine
- environment Coastal mangrove cover stood at just 17.4 km2 in 2000, a thin Sundarbans-edge green belt for a district this exposed, and one vulnerable to further loss. So what: Mangroves are the district's first line of surge defense; thinning them shifts the full storm load onto embankments and settlements. Source: Global Mangrove Watch (2000) via Google Earth Engine
- water Extensive tidal and saline surface water along the coast (150.3 km2 permanent water) raises salinity intrusion into farmland and drinking-water sources, constraining dry-season agriculture. So what: Salinity caps crop choice and yields and pushes the cost of safe water higher in a district least able to afford it. Source: JRC Global Surface Water (permanent water) via Google Earth Engine
- economy Nighttime-light growth is the 2nd-fastest of 64 districts (282%), but it builds from a very low base in a remote coastal economy still dominated by fishing and paddy. So what: Headline growth disguises how shallow and undiversified the productive base remains, leaving incomes hostage to fish stocks and storm seasons. Source: VIIRS nighttime lights (annual radiance) via Google Earth Engine
Probable solutions
- Strengthen coastal polders, multipurpose cyclone shelters, and early-warning coverage along the surge-exposed frontline. Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board · Coastal Embankment Improvement Project (CEIP)
- Protect and expand Sundarbans-edge mangrove and coastal afforestation belts as a natural surge buffer. Responsible: Bangladesh Forest Department · policy proposal
- Deploy saline-tolerant rice varieties and pond-sand-filter and rainwater systems to sustain dry-season agriculture and safe drinking water. Responsible: Department of Public Health Engineering · policy proposal
- Pair shock-responsive social protection with diversified coastal livelihoods (improved aquaculture, value-added fish processing) for the poorest households. Responsible: Department of Disaster Management · policy proposal