Strained Resources and Social Interactions: Rohingya Influx and Host Community Adaptation in Bangladesh

The large-scale influx of Rohingya populations into Cox’s Bazar has placed significant pressure on natural resources, disrupting the region’s environmental and socio-economic balance. This study examines how environmental stress—arising from land degradation, deforestation, and water scarcity—interacts with livelihood challenges and resource competition to shape the experiences of both host communities and Rohingya refugees. Grounded in the framework of environmental justice, the research adopts a mixed-methods approach, incorporating field surveys, key informant interviews, and participatory observations in selected unions of Ukhiya Upazila. It explores community-level perceptions of environmental change and access to resources, identifying pathways through which environmental stress may lead to either tension or cooperation. Assuming current trends persist through 2025, the study projects that built-up and camp settlement areas may expand by an additional 5 to 10 sq km, while forest and shrub cover could decline to approximately 115 sq km in Teknaf and 60 sq km in Ukhiya. Agricultural and salt-producing areas are expected to expand modestly, with water bodies experiencing slight fluctuations due to factors such as land subsidence or land-use conversion. The study’s findings aim to inform sustainable, equity-focused strategies for resource management and contribute to policy discussions on environmentally induced displacement and community resilience.