Rohingya Refugee Camps and Forest Loss in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh : An Inquiry Using Remote Sensingand Econometric Approaches

How do refugee camps impact the natural environment This paper examines the case study ofCox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, a district that hosts nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees in refugee camps. Using spatiallyexplicit data on land-use / land cover and proximity to a camp boundary, the paper quantifies land-use changes acrossthe district over time. To evaluate the extent to which the camps triggered additional forest loss, the analysiscalculates total forest loss in the district and uses a difference-in-difference model that compares areas 0–5kilometers from a camp boundary (treatment) to areas 10–15 kilometers away (control). The findings show that the rateof forest loss intensified near camps relative to the control area. The analysis reveals that areas experiencingcamp-stimulated reductions in forest cover are also experiencing faster settlement expansion relative to thecontrol area. Settlement expansion is largely concentrated in areas outside protected areas. This enhanced settlementexpansion still occurs when pixels 0–1 kilometer from the camps are omitted, which is evidence that the results arenot due to camp settlements expanding beyond the official camp borders. The results suggest that camps stimulatein-migration as Bangladeshis seek new economic opportunities and improved access to resources.