Deforestation, Development, and Emerging Environmental Risks in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

Although Bangladesh is frequently regarded as 'ground zero' for climate change, the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) have only recently been recognized for their environmental vulnerabilities, particularly following the severe rainfall and landslides of 2017. However, attributing these risks solely to climate change oversimplifies the complex interplay of environmentally unsustainable 'development' projects, extensive (il)legal deforestation, and localized socio-political dynamics. Using a mixed-method approach, this study investigates the convergence of climate trends with these broader drivers of environmental risk, drawing on meteorological data and qualitative insights from diverse local communities (n=400). The findings reveal a critical gap in climate-specific data for CHT, complicating the attribution of observed changes solely to climatic factors. Instead, the evidence underscores significant risks stemming from the combined effects of land degradation, water scarcity, flash floods, landslides, and other disturbances tied to deforestation and neoliberal development. This paper advances theoretical discussions by challenging climate-only narratives and emphasizing the need to analyze environmental risks within their localized socio-ecological contexts. It contributes to the growing body of scholarship advocating for context-sensitive frameworks that move beyond generalized attributions of climate change as the root cause of all environmental vulnerabilities, thereby promoting more nuanced, equitable, and regionally attuned policy responses.