GovTwin / Institution
Kurigram District
Local Gov
A far-northern border district fragmented by the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Teesta and Dharla rivers into hundreds of chars, long regarded as one of Bangladesh's poorest and most flood-prone areas. Its economy is overwhelmingly subsistence agriculture and char-based livelihoods, with chronic seasonal deprivation.
Wealth rank 15/64
(1 = poorest district)
Warming +0.47°C
(1980s–2020s)
Air NO₂ #54/64
(1 = most polluted)
Night-lights +109%
(2014–23 activity)
Built-up 37 km²
Forest loss 33 ha
(2001–23)
Rainfall 2,587 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: mean Relative Wealth Index ranks it 15th of 64, with deprivation concentrated on its many river chars. So what: Deep, geographically concentrated poverty means even modest shocks tip char households into the seasonal hunger (monga) the region is known for. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX), ~2.4 km grid
- climate disaster The highest monsoon rainfall among these northern districts (2,587 mm/yr) feeds severe flooding across the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Teesta and Dharla floodplains and chars. So what: Frequent, deep flooding repeatedly destroys crops, homes and the connecting infrastructure char communities depend on. Source: CHIRPS v2.0 precipitation (UCSB Climate Hazards Group) via Google Earth Engine
- water Extensive permanent surface water (110.9 km2), the largest among these four districts, reflects a landscape dominated by active river channels that erode chars and isolate communities. So what: Land lost to channel migration and water-locked chars cut residents off from markets, schools and health services for much of the year. Source: JRC Global Surface Water (permanent water) via Google Earth Engine
- urbanization Built-up surface has expanded about 149% since 2000 to 36.7 km2, the fastest growth among these districts, but onto a floodplain with limited planning. So what: Rapid settlement growth on flood-exposed land risks locking new homes and assets into the district's recurrent inundation. Source: GHSL built-up surface (JRC) via Google Earth Engine
- infrastructure Char and river-fragmented geography leaves many communities without all-weather road and ferry connectivity, especially during the long monsoon. So what: Poor connectivity raises the cost of relief, healthcare and trade, reinforcing the district's isolation and poverty. Source: Local Government Engineering Department (LGED)
Probable solutions
- Seasonal employment and food-security programming for char households timed to the lean monga period, paired with flood-resilient asset support. Responsible: Department of Disaster Management · policy proposal
- River training and erosion protection on the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Teesta and Dharla to stabilise inhabited chars and reduce annual land loss. Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board · policy proposal
- All-weather char connectivity through raised submersible roads, jetties and ferry services linking isolated chars to upazila centres. Responsible: Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) · policy proposal
- Risk-informed growth-centre planning directing new built-up expansion to higher, less flood-prone ground. Responsible: Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) · policy proposal