A New Type of Urbanization? Climate Change Population Displacement and Urban Space Problem in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Hosne Tilat Mahal
Nadia Y. Flores-Yeffal, Texas Tech University
Cristina Bradatan, Texas Tech University

Extreme flooding, frequent river bank erosion, and cyclones have forced people to move from rural to urban areas of Bangladesh. This type of migration - due to adverse climate hazards - leads a new type of urbanization that not necessarily: 1) is driven by economic opportunities but survival; 2) doesn’t improve the life chances of migrants and 3) affects the livelihoods of urban dwellers. We argue that this new type of urbanization should be taken into account into the SSps as it affects significantly how people adapt to climate change. This research uses DHS_Bangladesh_2007 to analyze the problem. Firstly, using climatic data, we identify the events (flooding, cyclones) that affected the country during 2001-2011. Secondly, we use mass media information to determine the social consequences of these events (migration in particular). Thirdly, we use the demographic data to measure systemically the effects these events had on the population structure.

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 Presented in Session 3. Population, Development, & the Environment; Data & Methods; Applied Demography