GovTwin / Institution
Natore District
Local Gov
A central Rajshahi-division district known for the Chalan Beel wetland, sugarcane and rice farming, and dairy. It is moderately poor and shows the slowest economic-activity growth in the cluster, indicating persistent stagnation.
Wealth rank 28/64
(1 = poorest district)
Warming +0.45°C
(1980s–2020s)
Air NO₂ #23/64
(1 = most polluted)
Night-lights +72%
(2014–23 activity)
Built-up 46 km²
Forest loss 24 ha
(2001–23)
Rainfall 1,580 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
- economy Nightlights grew just 72 percent, ranking 49th of 64 districts in growth pace, the slowest in the cluster and a clear sign of economic stagnation. So what: Weak activity growth means few new jobs, pushing working-age residents toward out-migration and leaving the local economy reliant on low-value farming. Source: VIIRS nighttime lights (annual radiance) via Google Earth Engine
- poverty Mean Relative Wealth Index of -0.079 ranks Natore 28th of 64 districts, persistently below the national midpoint. So what: Middling-to-low wealth combined with stagnant activity limits the tax base and household capacity to invest or absorb shocks. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX), ~2.4 km grid
- water With 1580 mm annual rainfall but only 3.9 km2 of mapped permanent water, the Chalan Beel wetland that defines the district has shrunk to highly seasonal extent, leaving farming dependent on groundwater. So what: A degrading wetland undermines dry-season water security, capture fisheries, and the ecological buffer the beel once provided. Source: JRC Global Surface Water (permanent water) via Google Earth Engine
- air quality Aerosol optical depth of 0.7 places Natore 16th-worst of 64 districts for particulate haze. So what: Persistent seasonal haze adds a respiratory health burden in a district with limited environmental monitoring capacity. Source: MODIS MAIAC aerosol optical depth (550 nm) via Google Earth Engine
- climate disaster Recent daytime land-surface temperature stands at 27.5 C, the highest surface heat in the cluster, alongside 0.45 C of air warming. So what: Rising surface heat stresses sugarcane, dairy herds, and the open beel-margin agriculture that anchors local incomes. Source: MODIS MOD11A2 land surface temperature (daytime) via Google Earth Engine
Probable solutions
- Revive sugarcane-based agro-processing and dairy value chains with SME credit and cold-chain support to create non-farm jobs and slow out-migration. Responsible: Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) · policy proposal
- Chalan Beel wetland restoration through canal re-excavation, silt management, and seasonal-water retention to rebuild dry-season storage and fisheries. Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board · policy proposal
- Establish district air-quality monitoring and enforce brick-kiln emission standards. Responsible: Department of Environment · policy proposal
- Promote heat-resilient crop varieties and shaded dairy-shed management under agricultural adaptation support. Responsible: Department of Agricultural Extension · policy proposal