GovTwin / Institution
Chandpur District
Local Gov
A riverine district at the Padma-Meghna confluence, famed for hilsa fisheries and its position as a major inland river port. Its economy and geography are shaped by vast river surfaces, recurrent erosion and flooding, and unusually high air pollution for a non-metropolitan district.
Wealth rank 57/64
(1 = poorest district)
Warming +0.66°C
(1980s–2020s)
Air NO₂ #6/64
(1 = most polluted)
Night-lights +120%
(2014–23 activity)
Built-up 26 km²
Forest loss 34 ha
(2001–23)
Rainfall 2,167 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
- water Dominant river and floodplain hydrology, with about 236 km2 of permanent surface water at the Padma-Meghna confluence, exposing the district to chronic riverbank erosion and seasonal flooding. So what: Land loss and displacement from erosion repeatedly destroy homes, farmland, and fishing livelihoods, demanding continual protective investment. Source: JRC Global Surface Water (permanent water) via Google Earth Engine
- air quality Strikingly high tropospheric NO2 for a riverine district (about 73.0 umol/m2), ranking 6th-most NO2-polluted of 64 districts, reflecting combustion, transport, and industrial emissions. So what: Elevated NO2 raises respiratory health burdens and signals that air-quality regulation is lagging behind local emission sources. Source: Sentinel-5P tropospheric NO2 via Google Earth Engine
- poverty Deep relative deprivation, ranking 57th of 64 districts on mean Relative Wealth Index (mean RWI 0.167), with heavy dependence on fragile fishing and remittance incomes. So what: Low household wealth leaves families with little buffer against erosion shocks and fishing bans, deepening migration pressure. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX), ~2.4 km grid
- urbanization Built-up area has roughly doubled since 2000 (about 102% growth to ~25.6 km2), concentrating settlement on erosion- and flood-exposed riverbank land. So what: Unplanned riverside expansion increases the population and assets at risk when the Meghna shifts course. Source: GHSL built-up surface (JRC) via Google Earth Engine
- agriculture The hilsa-centric inland fishery faces seasonal closures and stock-pressure that periodically suspend the district's signature livelihood. So what: Fishing bans, while necessary for stock recovery, cut household income for tens of thousands of fishers who need transitional support. Source: Department of Fisheries
Probable solutions
- River-training and bank-protection works at the confluence combined with erosion-risk land-use zoning to keep new settlement off the most vulnerable banks. Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board / LGED · policy proposal
- Source-targeted air-quality monitoring and emission controls on transport, brick kilns, and combustion sources in the district. Responsible: Department of Environment · policy proposal
- Alternative-income and food-support programs for fishers during hilsa breeding bans, paired with stock-protection enforcement. Responsible: Department of Fisheries · Hilsa conservation and fisher incentive program
- Targeted social protection and fisheries value-chain upgrading (cold chain, market access) to raise and stabilize household incomes. Responsible: Local Government Division / Department of Fisheries · policy proposal