GovTwin / Institution

Hatia (Noakhali)

Local Gov

A Meghna-estuary island upazila of Noakhali defined by active char formation, erosion, and remoteness from the mainland.

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. climate disaster As an estuarine island with little natural buffer, the upazila is acutely exposed to cyclone storm surge and tidal flooding. So what: Island communities face repeated surge events with limited escape routes. Source: Department of Disaster Management
2. infrastructure Island geography leaves the upazila remote, with char accretion and erosion constantly reshaping settlement and connectivity. So what: Isolation and shifting land hamper service delivery and evacuation. Source: Local Government Engineering Department (LGED)
3. poverty A local Relative Wealth Index of -0.188 places Hatia in the lower deciles of the national distribution. So what: Low household wealth compounds the island's exposure to coastal hazards. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX)

Probable solutions

• Strengthen and raise coastal polder embankments with functioning sluices and expand multipurpose cyclone shelters across char unions. Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board · policy proposal
• Coastal afforestation and mangrove greenbelt along the accreting shoreline to buffer surge and stabilize new char land. Responsible: Bangladesh Forest Department · policy proposal