Bangladesh is a climate change hotspot. An estimated 30 million people in the south of the country will be directly affected by sea level rise through the loss of their homes and means of livelihood leaving migration as the only viable option for survival. Given the fact that Bangladesh is a young country with the median age of 24 (meaning 50% of the population of the country is aged less than 24 years), this migration will be towards cities of the country, including Dhaka.

While mitigation measures may have some impact on the total number of people affected, the need of the hour is also to ensure that the youth that will migrate to the cities are helped to acquire new skills that would enable them to find productive jobs. On the other hand, it is going to be equally important to prepare the urban middle class of this developing issue and build alliances with them to support these migrants in their new environs. A smooth, planned and participative process with all stakeholders is necessary to ensure that there are no major disruptions in the social fabric.