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Socioeconomic Status Changes of the Host Communities after the Rohingya Refugee Influx in the Southern Coastal Area of Bangladesh

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  • S M Asik Ullah

    (Department of Environmental Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan
    Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
    Department of International Studies, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8581, Japan)

  • Kazuo Asahiro

    (Department of Environmental Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan)

  • Masao Moriyama

    (Faculty of Engineering, Nagasaki University, 1-14, Bunkyomachi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan)

  • Masakazu Tani

    (Department of Environmental Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan)

Abstract

The refugee influx from Myanmar, known as Rohingya refugees, is a serious concern for global refugee issues. Bangladesh currently hosts one million Rohingya refugees in the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar. Considering the number of the refugees, in addition to the humanitarian concerns, they are also creating pressure on the local host communities. This study explored the socioeconomic changes of the host communities after the refugee influx. In order to fulfill this study’s objectives, 35 villages near the Rohingya refugee camps from the coastal district of Bangladesh were surveyed. In the villages, 10% of households were surveyed in 2016 and also in 2020, covering 1924 and 2265 households, respectively. A temporal comparison of the host community’s socioeconomic status between 2016 and 2020 was conducted in order to determine the changes after the recent refugee influx. This study found that the local community’s socioeconomic status degraded. The annual income decreased by 24%, which is unusual for a country with over 6% gross domestic product (GDP) growth in recent times. The income decreased from all livelihood options except farming, which could be related to the availability of cheap labor and the high demand for commodities. The villages were clustered using k -means, and 20 villages were found to be affected after the refugee influx with degraded socioeconomic status. The host community’s general perception was initially positive, but later turned negative toward the refugees. This study will be important for the government and donor agencies to develop strategies to properly manage the refugee camps and adjacent host communities.

Suggested Citation

  • S M Asik Ullah & Kazuo Asahiro & Masao Moriyama & Masakazu Tani, 2021. "Socioeconomic Status Changes of the Host Communities after the Rohingya Refugee Influx in the Southern Coastal Area of Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-21, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:8:p:4240-:d:533970
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mehereen Akhter & Sayed Mohammad Nazim Uddin & Nazifa Rafa & Sanjida Marium Hridi & Chad Staddon & Wayne Powell, 2020. "Drinking Water Security Challenges in Rohingya Refugee Camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-26, September.
    2. Layes, Audrey & Asada, Yukiko & Kephart, George, 2012. "Whiners and deniers – What does self-rated health measure?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 1-9.
    3. Jean-François Maystadt & Kalle Hirvonen & Athur Mabiso & Joachim Vandercasteelen, 2019. "Impacts of Hosting Forced Migrants in Poor Countries," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 11(1), pages 439-459, October.
    4. Duraiappah, Anantha K., 1998. "Poverty and environmental degradation: A review and analysis of the nexus," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(12), pages 2169-2179, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Atiya Rahman & Anindita Bhattacharjee & Rafia Nisat & Narayan Das, 2023. "Graduation approach to poverty reduction in the humanitarian context: Evidence from Bangladesh," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(6), pages 1287-1317, August.
    2. Ahmad AlShwawra, 2021. "Syrian Refugees’ Integration Policies in Jordanian Labor Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-16, June.
    3. Bangkim Biswas & Bishawjit Mallick & Nasif Ahsan & Rupkatha Priodarshini, 2022. "How Does the Rohingya Influx Influence the Residential Satisfaction and Mobility Intentions of the Host Communities in Bangladesh?," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1311-1340, September.
    4. Sakamoto, Maiko & Ullah, S.M. Asik & Tani, Masakazu, 2024. "Impacts of refugee influx on the local economy and environmental degradation in Bangladesh: A spatial multilevel autoregressive analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).

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