GovTwin / Institution
Rowangchhari (Bandarban)
Local Gov
A remote central Bandarban upazila of steep hills, forest and jhum cultivation with minimal road connectivity.
Wealth rank 11/452
(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
- water With no permanent surface water bodies in the district, Rowangchhari's hill communities rely on seasonal streams and springs that dwindle sharply in the dry season. So what: Dry-season water scarcity forces long collection journeys and threatens health. Source: Department of Public Health Engineering
- environment The upazila shares the district's deforestation pressure from jhum expansion and timber extraction on its steep slopes. So what: Forest loss heightens erosion and landslide risk. Source: Bangladesh Forest Department
- poverty Rowangchhari's RWI mean of -0.448 places it in the very poorest wealth decile among all upazilas nationally, reflecting subsistence livelihoods and remoteness. So what: Extreme deprivation limits households' capacity to cope with water and climate stress. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX)
Probable solutions
- Rooftop and community rainwater harvesting plus spring-shed protection and storage to bridge the dry-season gap Responsible: Department of Public Health Engineering · policy proposal
- Protect montane forest and convert steep open jhum to permanent agroforestry and contour cultivation Responsible: Bangladesh Forest Department · policy proposal