How to Protect Coastal Communities From Tide-Related Loss and Damage in Bangladesh

Nurunnahar, 45, is always afraid of the tide. Early warning of the tide helps her prepare. Photographed at Jhapali village in Shyamnagar upazila (sub-district) of Satkhira district, Bangladesh. Credit: Rafiqul Islam Montu/IPSby Rafiqul Islam Montu (shyamnagar (satkhira), bangladesh)Thursday, October 01, 2026Inter Press Service SHYAMNAGAR (Satkhira), Bangladesh, October 1 (IPS) - Villagers rush to the vulnerable spot of the embankment—early warning of the rising tide has alerted them. Together, they save the village from tidal flooding by repairing the vulnerable embankment, which is at risk from the impact of low pressure in July this year. The message is clear: early warnings of the rising tide save lives and property. This wasn’t always the case. Cyclone Amphan in 2020 and Cyclone Yaas in 2021 destroyed the embankment in question, which is located in Datinakhali village, Burigoalini Union, Shyamnagar sub-district, Satkhira district, southwestern Bangladesh. But there was no early warning of the rising tide at that time, and the cyclone caused extensive damage. Every year during the monsoon, the pressure of tidal water in various parts of the Bangladeshi coast breaks or overflows ...