Published: 11:35 PM, 22 September 2026
Coastal Women Pay the Highest Price for Climate Crisis
Sanjana Bilkis Noor
For millions of people living along Bangladesh’s southern coast, climate change is no longer a distant environmental threat. It is a daily struggle for drinking water, food, health, shelter and livelihoods. Yet within these vulnerable communities, women and girls often bear a disproportionate share of the burden.
Bangladesh’s low-lying coastal belt is highly exposed to cyclones, tidal surges, flooding and rising salinity. More than 30 million people living along the coast are affected by varying degrees of salinity in water, according to the World Bank. In southern coastal areas, saline drinking water has been associated with increased risks of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension among pregnant women.
The crisis becomes particularly difficult for women because of the traditional division of household responsibilities. When ponds, canals and shallow wells become contaminated with salt water, women are often responsible for finding alternative sources of freshwater. This can mean walking long distances, carrying heavy containers and spending hours each day collecting water.
A UN Women analysis of Bangladesh’s climate vulnerabilities found that salinity and waterlogging increase women’s workload and can expose them to health problems. During prolonged waterlogging, maintaining menstrual hygiene also becomes more difficult, while disrupted livelihoods can increase food insecurity and malnutrition among women and girls.
The problem is not limited to water. Climate shocks can destroy crops, livestock, fishing grounds and household assets, leaving families with fewer sources of income. Research by the World Bank has found that households exposed to high levels of inundation and salinization experience higher poverty and greater migration of working-age adults, particularly men. When men leave coastal villages in search of work, women frequently remain behind to manage households, children and elderly relatives with limited resources.
Cyclones create another layer of vulnerability. Bangladesh has made significant progress in disaster preparedness, including cyclone shelters and early-warning systems. However, women may face barriers in accessing warnings and shelters. UN Women reports that inadequate privacy, security and sanitation in some shelters can discourage women and girls from using them. Pregnant women may also struggle to access skilled health services during emergencies.
The consequences can continue long after a cyclone has passed. After Cyclone Aila struck in 2009, communities in coastal Satkhira continued to experience the effects of saltwater intrusion. The World Bank reported increased waterborne diseases and concerns over high salt intake, including elevated blood pressure among pregnant women.
Girls face particular risks. When families lose income or schools become inaccessible because of flooding and waterlogging, girls can be more likely to leave school. UN Women notes that prolonged waterlogging in Bangladesh can reduce access to education and increase the possibility of girls dropping out.
Despite these challenges, coastal women are not merely victims of climate change. They are also important agents of adaptation. Women contribute to household food security, manage scarce water resources, maintain livelihoods and participate in community-level responses to disasters. In Khulna, for example, women’s organizations have been involved in locally led adaptation initiatives, including a solar-powered irrigation project responding to increasing salinity.
Bangladesh has invested heavily in coastal resilience. Projects involving stronger polders, cyclone shelters and other protective infrastructure have sought to reduce flooding and saline-water intrusion. One World Bank-supported coastal project, for example, was designed to rehabilitate 10 polders in six coastal districts and directly protect more than 724,000 people.
But infrastructure alone cannot address the gendered consequences of the climate crisis. Adaptation policies must consider women’s access to safe water, healthcare, sanitation, education, land, credit and alternative livelihoods. Disaster shelters should provide privacy and security, while climate programs should include women in local decision-making.
For coastal Bangladesh, climate change is ultimately a question of human survival and equality. The rising tide does not affect everyone in the same way. For women who carry water, care for families, manage households and endure the health consequences of salinity and disasters, the climate crisis can become a daily struggle that begins long before a cyclone arrives and continues long after the water recedes. Protecting Bangladesh’s coastal women, therefore, is not separate from climate adaptation. It is an essential part of it.
Sanjana Bilkis Noor studies Business Administration in Southeast
University, Dhaka.
