When Refuge Becomes Ecological Pressure

In August 2017, one of the century’s largest forced migrations started taking place along Bangladesh’s south-eastern coast. Fleeing mass violence and persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya crossed the Naf River and poured into the district of Cox’s Bazar.

Source: International Society for Human Rights

A few months later, the same district of Bangladesh hosted the world’s largest refugee settlement, with over 1 million Rohingya across camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf. The crisis is perceived to have humanitarian dimension.

However, a silent ecological crisis is unfolding below the bamboo protections and tarpaulin roofs of the camps. The environment of one of Bangladesh’s most ecologically fragile areas is changing due to the large-scale sudden arrival of refugees in the area. This impact is being felt in forests, soils, water systems and wildlife habitats of the area. Cox’s Bazar, previously known only for long beaches and coastal biodiversity, is apparently on the verge of a major environmental disaster.

Hence, the Rohingya crisis is not just a tale of displacement and existence. It is also a story of how human conflict can reverberate outwards into ecosystems, reshaping landscapes in ways that may take decades to rectify.

A Sudden Population Shock to a Fragile Ecosystem

The coastal hill tropical forest and marine ecosystem of Cox’s Bazar district are unique. The hills of Ukhiya and Teknaf were once covered with mixed evergreen forest and were part of Bangladesh’s coastal biodiversity corridor. The forests were a home to several wildlife species, including Asian elephants, people, birds, reptiles, and other plants. The arrival of over a million refugees in a brief period has created an unprecedented population shock in the landscape.

Source: Shia waves

There was an immediate construction of temporary shelters for displaced families. Due to the forested hilly terrain, large areas of forest were cleared for the establishment of camps. Satellite research reveals the magnitude of this change. Studies reveal that the forest cover of the area decreased considerably due to the refugees’ influx when around 5,488 hectares of forest were converted into settlements. Thus, it has suffered a loss by about 10 percent and an increase of about 8 percent in settlement land.

The trees destroyed as a result of the fire have crippled ecosystems. Forests modulate soils, water flow and the local climate. Soil can crumble when they vanish too quickly.

Deforestation and the Energy Crisis of Survival

The most basic human requirement for resources was the first environmental stress. Before the Rohingya came, access to electricity and other forms of energy was rare. The forest was used to cook thousands of people due to the availability of fuel and firewood. People cut trees down to make firewood, shelters and clear land. The speed at which deforestation was taking place prompted the early trials of environmentalists who warned that the other forests of Cox’s Bazar would completely vanish. More than just tree removals, it caused a chain reaction. Forests are crucial for carbon and biodiversity. By taking them away, it lowers in biomass and carbon stock will accelerate soil degradation and climate vulnerability as well. Wildlife homes became cut off at night. Human-elephant conflict increased at notable consequence. Asian elephants were forced to take detours for food as their migratory routes crossed refugee camps. Due to blockages in their corridors, elephants came into camps. Elephants killed some refugees, highlighting the clash between ecosystem and humanitarian issues. To put it another way, it is not animosity between species that is causing conflict, it is geography. The people and the wildlife are competing for space which is shrinking day by day.

Soil Erosion and the Risk of Landslides

The hills around Cox’s Bazar are composed of loose sedimentary soils that rely on tree roots for structural stability. When forests were cleared to construct camps, these slopes lost their natural reinforcement. Without vegetation, rainfall began to erode the exposed hillsides. Soil washed downhill during monsoon seasons, creating high risks of landslides and flooding. Environmental studies describe the resulting landscape as one where deforestation intensifies soil erosion and increases the risk of landslides, waterlogging, and drainage congestion. This is particularly dangerous because the camps are densely populated. Hundreds of thousands of shelters are built on steep slopes that were never designed for permanent habitation. Each monsoon season becomes a test of resilience. Heavy rains threaten to destabilize hillsides and flood low-lying areas, placing already vulnerable refugee communities at further risk.

In this way, environmental degradation becomes a humanitarian hazard.

Water Stress and Contamination

Water is another critical pressure point. A sudden population increase of over a million people inevitably places enormous strain on local groundwater systems. Tube wells were installed across the camps to supply drinking water, but intense extraction has lowered groundwater levels in some areas. At the same time, sanitation infrastructure struggles to keep pace with population density. The concentration of latrines and waste facilities in small areas increases the risk of groundwater contamination.

Environmental analyses of the Rohingya camps note severe strain on water resources, including groundwater depletion and contamination risks linked to waste mismanagement.  This problem affects both refugees and the host communities of Cox’s Bazar. Local residents who previously depended on forest streams, shallow wells, and agricultural land now face declining water availability and environmental degradation. The ecological burden therefore extends beyond the camps.

Waste, Pollution, and the Ecology of Density

The Rohingya settlements are among the most densely populated places on Earth. Kutupalong-Balukhali, the largest camp complex, houses hundreds of thousands of people within a relatively small geographic area. Such density inevitably produces waste, plastic, food refuse, medical waste, and sewage.

Waste management systems have been introduced by humanitarian organizations, but managing the daily output of such a large population remains a challenge. Environmental assessments highlight growing concerns about pollution, waste accumulation, and degradation of surrounding land and water systems in the region.  If unmanaged, these pollutants can alter soil chemistry, contaminate water bodies, and degrade nearby ecosystems. In other words, refugee camps are not isolated spaces. Their environmental footprint spreads outward into the surrounding landscape.

Biodiversity Under Pressure

Cox’s Bazar lies within a biodiversity-rich region that historically supported diverse wildlife species. The forests and hills of Ukhiya and Teknaf served as ecological corridors connecting coastal ecosystems with inland habitats. The expansion of refugee settlements has fragmented these ecosystems. Loss of vegetation reduces habitat availability for birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. Studies suggest the region has already experienced measurable declines in biodiversity and ecosystem services due to forest loss.  Wild animals face shrinking territory, while increased human presence brings noise, light, and habitat disruption. Ecological balance depends on complex relationships between species and their environments. When landscapes change rapidly, those relationships collapse.

Environmental Recovery Efforts

Despite these challenges, efforts are underway to mitigate the ecological damage. Humanitarian organizations and the Bangladeshi government have introduced several environmental programs designed to stabilize the region. One major intervention has been the introduction of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking. By replacing firewood, LPG reduces pressure on surrounding forests and helps slow deforestation.

Reforestation projects are also underway. Refugees themselves have participated in planting trees, grasses, and vegetation to restore degraded land and stabilize slopes. In some cases, refugees have helped replant hundreds of hectares of forestland, demonstrating that environmental restoration can involve displaced communities as active participants.

These initiatives show that ecological recovery is possible when humanitarian responses include environmental planning. But restoration is a slow process. Trees take decades to regrow. Ecosystems can take even longer.

A Crisis Without a Simple Solution

The environmental pressures in Cox’s Bazar reveal a deeper truth about modern humanitarian crises. Refugee displacement rarely occurs in ecological isolation. Wars and persecution often push people into landscapes that were never designed to absorb such population shocks. In Cox’s Bazar, the environmental strain is not the fault of the refugees themselves. They are survivors of violence and displacement seeking safety. Yet survival requires land, fuel, water, and shelter, resources drawn from the surrounding environment. The result is a complex intersection of humanitarian necessity and ecological fragility.

The Future of Cox’s Bazar

Today, Cox’s Bazar stands at a crossroads. If current environmental pressures continue without long-term planning, the region could face lasting ecological damage. Forest ecosystems may struggle to recover, biodiversity could decline further, and climate vulnerabilities such as landslides and flooding may intensify. But another path is possible. Integrated environmental management, combining renewable energy, reforestation, sustainable water systems, and ecological restoration, can reduce pressure on the landscape while supporting both refugees and host communities. Ultimately, however, the long-term solution lies beyond Bangladesh.

The Rohingya crisis began with violence and persecution in Myanmar. Until a safe, dignified, and voluntary repatriation becomes possible, Cox’s Bazar will continue carrying the environmental and humanitarian weight of one of the world’s largest refugee crises. Nature, like people, has limits. The hills of Cox’s Bazar are quietly reminding the world that humanitarian crises and environmental crises are often two sides of the same story.