Sachchida Nanda Dey Saday (Assasuni)  Satkhira

The adverse effects of climate change have taken on an alarming form in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. One of its most destructive consequences is river erosion. In the southwestern coastal district of Satkhira, the upazila of Assasuni is experiencing this erosion as a silent yet devastating disaster.

 Particularly in the riverside and low-lying villages, homes, lands, and livelihoods are being lost year after year. At the root of this destruction lies the escalating impact of climate change.

Severe erosion is being observed in the unions of Shreeula, Pratapnagar, Anulia, and Khajra in Assasuni. 

According to experts, climate change is causing the sea to become more turbulent, increasing salinity and tidal surges. Coupled with excessive rainfall during the monsoon and upstream water pressure, these factors are triggering riverbank erosion across Assasuni’s waterways.

Many residents, having lost their homes, now live in cluster villages or under the open sky in inhumane conditions. Local resident Md. Anwar Hossain shared his plight: “I once had four bighas of land — now there’s nothing left. The river took it all. What are we to do? Where will we go ?”

Due to climate change, rivers are shifting course, their depths are decreasing, and currents are becoming stronger — all of which intensify erosion. The Khulpetua, Kapotakkho, and Marichchap rivers have already swallowed hundreds of acres of land. As a result, not only are private properties being lost, but roads, schools, mosques, madrasas, and markets are disappearing too. Agriculture is severely disrupted, forcing day laborers, farmers, and fishermen into crisis.

After Cyclone Amphan in 2021 and Cyclone Yaas in 2022, embankments in Pratapnagar were breached, flooding at least 15 villages. The prolonged submersion in saline water halted crop production and created an acute shortage of drinking water. According to a local NGO, 75% of the population now depends on alternative sources for potable water.

Locals report that after Cyclone Aila in 2009, Amphan in 2020, and Yaas in 2021, the riverbanks have become increasingly unstable. Since then, erosion has worsened every monsoon. Rising salinity and sea levels now cause rivers to frequently overflow, breaking into residential areas.

Though the local administration and the Water Development Board occasionally respond by placing sandbags or repairing embankments, these measures often prove inadequate. Demands for sustainable riverbank protection and proper dredging are raised repeatedly, but effective action remains elusive. As a result, affected residents continue to live in uncertainty, clinging to fragile hope.

Climate researchers and local development activists emphasize that regions like Assasuni need long-term planning, sustainable infrastructure, and community-led adaptation initiatives to combat the impacts of climate change.

The disaster of river erosion due to climate change is not just a geographical crisis — it is a brutal reflection of humanitarian and socio-economic suffering.

 Satkhira’s Assasuni offers a vivid picture of this reality. The time has come for coordinated national and international efforts to take meaningful action against this growing threat.