GovTwin / Institution

Maheshkhali (Cox's Bazar)

Local Gov

A hilly island upazila off the Cox's Bazar coast with mangrove, salt, and betel-leaf cultivation, now a focus of large coastal energy and port development.

Wealth rank 291/452 (1 = poorest upazila)

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 The island's low coastal fringe on the Bay of Bengal is exposed to cyclone and storm-surge risk, while its central hills face deforestation-driven instability. So what: Coastal communities and salt and betel-leaf plots are repeatedly threatened by surge. Source: Department of Disaster Management
  2. environment Clearance of island mangrove and hill forest for settlement, fuelwood, and development pressure thins the protective tree cover. So what: Eroding buffers expose the island to stronger surge and slope failure. Source: Bangladesh Forest Department
  3. poverty An upazila mean Relative Wealth Index of -0.018, below the district's better-off centres, reflects modest island livelihoods. So what: Limited income leaves households thinly buffered against coastal shocks. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX)

Probable solutions