''The sudden and dramatic infl ux of more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in the latter part of 2017 wrought terrible environmental damage to a region that was already battling some of the severest effects of climatic change. In the hills south of Cox’s Bazar town, several thousand acres of forest and vegetation were cleared to make way for bamboo and tarpaulin camps needed to accommodate the refugees (more than half of whom are children). The exposed sandy soil has left them at risk of landslides and fl ash fl ooding, especially during the monsoon months. “The woodland and vegetation are essential for stabilizing the sandy and undulating terrain,” says UNICEF’s Nazzina Mohsin, who specializes in environmental issues. “Over time, the loss of so much green cover could also affect the amount of rainfall the area receives.” In one corner of the sprawling Kutapalong refugee camp, a solitary Banyan tree towers above a sea of plastic shelters, a poignant remnant of the forest that used to dominate the area. The coastline of Cox’s Bazar District - whose 120 kilometre beach is one of the world’s longest - has been under assault from rising sea levels and salt water intrusion for years. Along the coastal road leading to the southern town of Teknaf, teams of labourers are often at work, stacking concrete blocks in an attempt to hold back the encroaching waves. Local residents also say weather patterns have noticeably changed over the years, with shorter winters and warmer summers. And while the authorities have made efforts to provide cyclone shelters for the Bangladeshi population, the shelters are insuffi cient for the needs of the refugee community during the lengthy monsoon season...''