GovTwin / Institution
Sirajganj District
Local Gov
A Jamuna-floodplain district where the river both feeds agriculture and routinely erodes settlements and farmland. It is the most economically dynamic of the northwest cluster, anchored by the Sirajganj handloom and powerloom belt and rapid built-up expansion along the Bangabandhu Bridge corridor.
Wealth rank 43/64
(1 = poorest district)
Warming +0.57°C
(1980s–2020s)
Air NO₂ #16/64
(1 = most polluted)
Night-lights +94%
(2014–23 activity)
Built-up 56 km²
Forest loss 188 ha
(2001–23)
Rainfall 1,723 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
- climate disaster High annual rainfall of 1723 mm combined with a large permanent surface-water footprint of 130.2 km2 along the Jamuna leaves the district exposed to recurrent monsoon flooding and bank erosion. So what: Flood and char erosion repeatedly displace riverine households and destroy standing crops, forcing costly emergency response every season. Source: CHIRPS v2.0 precipitation (UCSB Climate Hazards Group) via Google Earth Engine
- urbanization Built-up surface has grown 45 percent since 2000 to 56.5 km2, the largest built footprint in the cluster, concentrated along the bridge and town corridor with little serviced land-use planning. So what: Unmanaged sprawl onto floodplain and farmland raises both flood-loss exposure and the cost of retrofitting drainage and water service. Source: GHSL built-up surface (JRC) via Google Earth Engine
- climate disaster The district shows the strongest local warming in the cluster at 0.57 C of near-surface air temperature rise. So what: Hotter conditions intensify heat stress on the dense weaving workforce and on boro paddy during grain-fill, threatening output. Source: ERA5-Land reanalysis (Copernicus/ECMWF) via Google Earth Engine, district mean
- air quality Tropospheric NO2 reaches 42.2 umol/m2, placing Sirajganj 16th-highest of 64 districts, reflecting the bridge-corridor traffic and powerloom-cluster fuel use. So what: Elevated combustion pollution adds a chronic respiratory burden in the most densely worked part of the district. Source: Sentinel-5P tropospheric NO2 via Google Earth Engine
- economy Despite 94 percent nightlights growth, the gains are concentrated in the town-and-bridge corridor while the eroding char belt and traditional handloom weavers remain economically marginal. So what: Uneven growth widens the gap between the corridor economy and the flood-exposed riverine periphery. Source: VIIRS nighttime lights (annual radiance) via Google Earth Engine
Probable solutions
- Targeted Jamuna riverbank protection and char-area early-warning plus raised cluster-village resettlement for erosion-displaced households. Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board · policy proposal
- Enforce floodplain-aware land-use zoning and prioritize drainage and water-supply networks ahead of further built-up expansion in the bridge corridor. Responsible: Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) · policy proposal
- Promote heat-tolerant boro varieties and adjusted planting calendars under the agricultural rehabilitation and adaptation programs. Responsible: Department of Agricultural Extension · policy proposal
- Extend handloom and powerloom modernization credit and skills support to weavers outside the corridor to broaden the growth base. Responsible: Bangladesh Handloom Board · policy proposal