A precarious environment for the Rohingya refugees

The refugee influx into Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district has caused a significant impact on local forests and amplified human-wildlife conflict.

It is estimated that the equivalent of 3-5 football fields of forest are felled every day in the area. Important national and community forestry areas, which were already under significant pressure before the influx, have been further degraded, limiting opportunities for local communities depending on forestry projects to supplement their livelihoods. UN agencies are working with partner organizations to reduce the risk of environmental degradation