Disparities in exposure to hydrogeomorphic hazards in Bangladesh

Journal article

Natural hazards can impair socio-economic development. While population exposure to various natural hazards has been quantified, the exposure to hydrogeomorphic hazards – involving water-induced landscape changes – remains unknown. Using high-resolution hydrogeomorphic modelling, combined with population and wealth data, this study provides a national-scale spatial assessment of exposure to hydrogeomorphic hazards across population and wealth groups, taking Bangladesh as a case study. Bangladesh is an exceptionally geo-dynamic country, where multiple hazards coincide with a dense population (1300 people per km2) and a high poverty rate (20%). Here we show that over 22 million people, making up 13% of the population, live within hydrogeomorphically unstable regions. Of the 22 million, 86% are within the lowest wealth groups of the population. Given such a high level of disparity in exposure, hydrogeomorphic hazards must be incorporated into disaster risk management and poverty alleviation efforts in Bangladesh and beyond.

Authors: Paszkowski, A; Tiggeloven, T; Borgomeo, E; Hall, JW

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Journal: Nature Communications
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 1
• Article number: 10208
• Publication date: 2025-11-20
• Acceptance date: 2025-09-25
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64920-y
• EISSN: 2041-1723
• ISSN: 2041-1723
• Language: English