GovTwin / Institution
Nilphamari District
Local Gov
Nilphamari is a small northern border district on the Teesta floodplain, home to the Teesta Barrage and the Uttara EPZ, with an economy built on paddy, maize and seasonal farm labour. It is among the wetter and poorer districts of the division.
Wealth rank 21/64
(1 = poorest district)
Warming +0.28°C
(1980s–2020s)
Air NO₂ #48/64
(1 = most polluted)
Night-lights +57%
(2014–23 activity)
Built-up 29 km²
Forest loss 194 ha
(2001–23)
Rainfall 2,748 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 Economic activity is nearly stagnant: nighttime-lights growth of just 57 percent ranks 61 of 64 nationally, among the slowest in the country. So what: Near-bottom growth signals that the Uttara EPZ and farm economy are not generating enough jobs, pushing working-age residents to migrate. Source: VIIRS nighttime lights (annual radiance) via Google Earth Engine
- poverty Mean Relative Wealth Index is negative (-0.116), with a national rank of 21 of 64 (1 is poorest), reflecting a low rural household asset base. So what: Weak wealth combined with stagnant growth traps households in subsistence and seasonal labour, the classic monga-belt vulnerability. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX), ~2.4 km grid
- air quality Aerosol pollution is severe, with AOD ranking 3 of 64 nationally (1 is worst), among the haziest districts in Bangladesh. So what: Some of the country's worst aerosol loading raises chronic respiratory risk in a district with thin specialist health services. Source: MODIS MAIAC aerosol optical depth (550 nm) via Google Earth Engine
- climate disaster Highest rainfall among the four northern districts (2,748 mm) feeds Teesta flooding and flash floods upstream of and around the Teesta Barrage. So what: High flood exposure repeatedly damages crops and the barrage command area, undermining the irrigation infrastructure the district relies on. Source: CHIRPS v2.0 precipitation (UCSB Climate Hazards Group) via Google Earth Engine
- urbanization Built-up area has grown 58 percent since 2000 (to 28.9 km2), the fastest relative expansion among the four districts, much of it onto floodplain farmland. So what: Rapid sprawl on a small land base consumes scarce arable land without commensurate job growth. Source: GHSL built-up surface (JRC) via Google Earth Engine
Probable solutions
- Deepen industrial linkages around the Uttara EPZ with skills training and SME supplier development to convert farm-surplus labour into wage employment. Responsible: Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) / Department of Youth Development · policy proposal
- Improve Teesta Barrage command-area drainage and embankment upkeep and coordinate cross-border flood early-warning for the Teesta. Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board · policy proposal
- Convert brick kilns to cleaner firing technology and control agricultural-residue burning to cut the district's high aerosol loading. Responsible: Department of Environment · policy proposal
- Continue social-protection and seasonal cash-for-work coverage targeted at landless Teesta-char households during the lean season. Responsible: Department of Disaster Management / Department of Social Services · policy proposal