Kurigram, a district crisscrossed by the Brahmaputra, Dharla, Teesta, and Dudhkumar rivers, is one of the areas most vulnerable to river erosion. Sediment buildup in these rivers, caused by upstream floods, has reduced the depth of riverbeds in this border district. With normal water flow obstructed, rivers now overflow unpredictably, triggering floods in riverside communities. As water levels recede, erosion intensifies, reshaping the landscape. Each year, 2,000 to 2,500 families lose their houses to river erosion. Over the past decade, nearly 30,000 families have been displaced, and many more have had to relocate their homes.

Analysts say government intervention is necessary to mitigate such natural disasters. The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has noted that completing riverbank protection and dredging work could reduce both flooding and erosion risks.

Residents of the riverine islands, or chars, report that within two to ten years, their settlements are swallowed by river erosion. Houses have to be dismantled, trees cut down, and then families relocate to newly emerged chars. For generations, the more than 500,000 people living across roughly 450 chars in the district have endured floods, erosion, and drought.

In Begumganj Union of Ulipur Upazila, Nuru Mia lives on the newly formed Baladobar char in the Brahmaputra basin. His family has relocated at least 15 times. Moving from one char to another along the river’s course has consumed half his life. He makes a living either by fishing or cultivating crops on the char’s land.

Asked about moving to higher ground, Nuru Mia said, “We don’t have the money to go to higher areas. Even when we save BDT 15,000 to 20,000 with great effort, the river destroys our home, and we have to move. Nearly 50 families have taken shelter on this new char. Everyone is in the same situation. Erosion has already begun on one side of the char, and we may only have another year here.”

Bablu Mia, chairman of Begumganj Union Parishad, said, “This union had 20 chars. In the past two to three years, seven have disappeared. Most residents have settled on newly emerged chars, while some families have moved to Dhaka and other districts. They are now separated from relatives and extended family.”

Residents of the region are bearing the brunt of climate change. Communities along the river basins are hit the hardest when heavy rainfall occurs upstream. Leaders of organizations working on climate, environment, and char development are calling for permanent measures to protect riverbanks and safeguard chars through dredging and government allocations.

M Rashid Ali, chairman of the volunteer organization Green Village, told Bonik Barta, “We have seen that the rivers used to be deeper. Now the riverbeds are filled with sediment. Floodwaters from upstream appear at the end of the rainy season. With the riverbeds filled with sand, water flows through different channels, destroying houses.”

Rashid added, “Rivers need to be dredged to counter the impact of climate change. In addition, permanent embankments should be built on both banks, leaving space to plant deep-rooted trees. That way, even when currents rise, the riverbanks won’t be damaged. If large chars in the middle of rivers are protected and permitted for habitation, this problem will be significantly reduced.”

Field observations show that char communities suffer severe erosion during both the rainy and dry seasons. Houses are dismantled and transported by boat from one char to another. At times, floods wash away homes and ruin crops. Such scenes are visible along the river basins throughout most of the year.

Shafiqul Islam Bebu, convener of the Kurigram Char Development Committee, told Bonik Barta, “We are campaigning for a Char Ministry, similar to the Ministry of Hill Affairs. If a Char Ministry is established, the government could coordinate with the Water Development Board, health, and education departments to prevent erosion. That would significantly reduce riverbank erosion.”

On the overall situation, Md Rakibul Hasan, executive engineer (civil) of the Kurigram Water Development Board, told Bonik Barta, “The impact of climate change is visible in the district’s rivers. Untimely floods are intensifying erosion. However, projects to build permanent embankments are ongoing. According to long-term plans, once riverbank protection is completed and the rivers are dredged, flood and erosion risks will decrease.”