Transition Pathways and Capabilities of Climate-Induced Migrants: The Case of Ready-Made Garment Workers in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries globally, significantly affected by extreme environmental events such as cyclones, flooding, salinity intrusion, and riverbank erosion. These severe environmental stressors have forced substantial numbers of individuals from both rural and urban areas to migrate towards urban centres in search of sustainable livelihoods. This migration pattern, known as climate-induced migration, represents an urgent socio-economic challenge, exacerbated by limited policy support and urban infrastructure. This research investigates how climate-induced migrants (CIMs) navigate their transitions into urban life, focusing particularly on their efforts to rebuild livelihoods and pursue stability after displacement due to environmental and climatic disasters. It critically analyses the multi-stage transitions and employment experiences of climate-induced migrants (CIMs) in Bangladesh, specifically focusing on their integration into urban economies through employment in Dhaka's Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector. Despite its growing scale, this migration trajectory remains inadequately addressed within existing national policies. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data, including extensive fieldwork with semi-structured interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions, this research analyses CIMs experiences through the lens of two theoretical frameworks: the Just Transition Framework (JTF) and the Aspirations and Capabilities Framework (ACF). The JTF provides insights into the equity and fairness dimensions of structural economic changes required for sustainable transitions, particularly relevant to CIMs entering vulnerable urban employment contexts. At the same time, the ACF provides deeper insight by examining migrant’s personal aspirations and their capabilities to achieve meaningful outcomes within their urban environment. Empirical findings reveal distinct transition stages, beginning with displacement, progressing through settlement and employment, and culminating in long-term urban integration. Each stage is marked by structural barriers such as precarious housing, limited employment opportunities, gender-based discrimination, and systemic exclusion from urban services. Simultaneously, the agency of migrants is evident in their strategic decision-making, social network utilisation, and active pursuit of socio-economic mobility despite significant constraints. The study identifies important limitations in existing policy frameworks, which often prioritise rural adaptation and overlook urban realities. It calls for a just transition approach that enhances the capabilities of climate-displaced populations and embeds equity and inclusion into climate, labour, and urban development policies. By situating CIMs within broader socio-economic and environmental transitions, this research offers a timely and context-specific contribution to understanding climate-linked urban migration in Bangladesh.
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