FAO project to protect 45,000 Rohingya from landslide risks

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Bangladesh has secured $584,369 from the Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund to implement urgent slope stabilisation and community preparedness interventions in Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar, bolstering disaster risk reduction efforts ahead of the monsoon season.

The funding will help vulnerable Rohingya households reduce life-threatening landslide risks and protect shelters in advance of the monsoon, according to a press release.

FAO will stabilise approximately 170 hectares of high-risk slopes across 85 sites in 15 Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf.

Key activities include planting deep-rooted native vegetation and deploying bioengineering techniques such as bamboo crib walls and contour trenching.

The project will provide emergency cash-for-work opportunities to 800 direct beneficiaries.

FAO stated that the interventions will reduce the risk of deadly landslides and protect over 45,000 Rohingya refugees living in high-risk areas by safeguarding shelters, evacuation routes, and access to essential services during the monsoon.

Jiaoqun Shi, FAO representative in Bangladesh, noted that fragile and deforested slopes, coupled with extreme monsoon rainfall, are heightening the risk of life-threatening landslides in Cox's Bazar.

'Sustainable, cost-effective prevention measures are urgently needed to avert avoidable loss of life and secondary displacement,' he said.

He thanked the Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund, stating that the support fills a critical gap in the 2025–26 Hyper-prioritised Rohingya Joint Response Plan, where slope stabilisation is recognised as a high-impact, life-saving intervention in the most vulnerable camps.

'Nature-based solutions are highly cost-efficient, delivering between $7 and $30 in returns for every $1 invested, while simultaneously reducing disaster risks and generating life-saving income,' Shi added.

FAO stated it is well-positioned to deliver this support, leveraging its technical expertise in nature-based bioengineering and its operational presence in Cox's Bazar.

Through the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy Plus programme, FAO has stabilised over 3,500 hectares of degraded slopes since 2018.

The organisation stated that disaster risk reduction support is life-saving in humanitarian emergencies.

By using nature-based soil-binding and erosion-control techniques, FAO said it can enhance physical safety for families living on the front line of climate vulnerability.

FAO has maintained a strong field presence in Cox's Bazar since the Rohingya influx in 2017.

It works within the Rohingya Coordination Platform to ensure interventions align with site management, shelter, and protection responses, reaching communities most exposed to hazards.

Project activities will be delivered through local community structures—including majhis, imams, and youth networks—to foster long-term ownership and self-reliance.

The Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund enables rapid, flexible financing for urgent life-saving priorities.

FAO stated that this timely support will enable partners to act before predictable hazards, such as landslides, cause deaths or secondary displacement.

As climate-induced hazards and acute food insecurity rise globally, FAO is scaling up nature-based slope stabilisation and bioengineering to protect vulnerable communities and safeguard livelihoods.

FAO's 2026 Global Emergency and Resilience Appeal seeks $2.5 billion to support over 100 million people in 54 countries.

The organisation stated that investment in ecosystem-based early action can reduce future humanitarian needs and costs.

FAO stated that the new contribution from the Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund underscores the importance of timely, flexible humanitarian funding in saving lives and livelihoods, and the role of nature-based solutions as an effective frontline response to climate-driven emergencies.