Why is erosion intensifying along Cox’s Bazar beach, what does it indicate?
The wide sandy beach is Cox’s Bazar’s main attraction for tourists. But over the past few years, erosion has intensified in several parts of the beach, shrinking the sandy stretch.
Large pits and channels have formed in some places, while in others waves are crashing against embankments made of geobags. Sand dunes and casuarina trees are also disappearing as erosion continues.
On 9 September, a field visit along nearly five kilometres of beach from Laboni to Kolatoli revealed signs of erosion at at least 15 locations. In some places, geobags had torn open; elsewhere, sand had been washed away from underneath, leaving gaps. In other areas, long channels had been carved through the beach.
Khandakar Mahmud Pasha, deputy director of the Cox’s Bazar office of the Department of Environment, told Prothom Alo that geobags filled with sand had been torn apart by the force of the tides in many places.
He said geobags alone could not provide a long-term solution to coastal erosion. Coastal vegetation such as beach morning glory and Nishinda should be planted to restore natural sand dunes. If the dunes are raised and strengthened, they can provide natural protection against wave action, he said.
Md Ashraful Haque, chief scientific officer at the Cox’s Bazar Marine Fisheries and Technology Centre, said rising sea levels and the impact of large waves were damaging the geobag embankments. Temporary measures, such as using bamboo and wooden stakes in erosion-prone areas, could be taken, he said. A permanent solution, however, would require scientific research.
The beach has changed dramatically in five years
Mofizur Rahman, a resident of Baharchhara, has been selling seashells at Laboni Point for 32 years. He claims that over the past five years, around 400 to 500 feet of the beach in front of him has disappeared into the sea.
Mofizur Rahman said the sea was much farther away from the present shoreline three decades ago. Chairs and umbrellas used to be set up there for tourists. Now, the sandy beach is gradually eroding and seawater is advancing inland. Geobags are placed every year, but they have failed to stop the erosion, he said.
Mahbubur Rahman, president of the Cox’s Bazar Kitkot (chair-and-umbrella) Business Owners’ Association, said there used to be a vast sandy stretch along the five-kilometre stretch from Kolatoli to Laboni.
Now, several areas of Laboni, Kolatoli and Sea-Gull Point have been affected by erosion and the formation of pits. This has reduced the space available for tourists to swim and walk, he said.
Tourists are also facing difficulties
At Laboni Point, tourists could be seen during low tide sitting on chairs placed on the western side of the geobags and looking out at the sea. Numerous pits and several long channels had formed across the beach. Tourists were making their way towards the water by crossing them.
Further south, at Sugandha Point, however, there were far more tourists at the same time. Although thousands of tourists were seen across an area of around one kilometre, signs of erosion were comparatively limited there.
At various points along the beach, wave after wave could be seen crashing against the geobag embankments. In some places, the geobags had disappeared; elsewhere, pits several feet deep had formed. In other areas, the geobags had torn open, allowing sand to spill out.
Md Faruk and Joynal Abedin, employees of Sea-Safe Lifeguard, a private organisation involved in rescuing tourists at the beach, said erosion had not eased even after geobags were installed from Laboni Point northwards to the Diabetics Point. Rather, they said, they had observed erosion worsening in several areas.
Local resident Abdur Rashid said the erosion of the sandy beach and dunes was also causing casuarina trees to fall into the sea.
Tourists are also suffering because of the erosion. Farzana Yasmin, a tourist from Dhaka, said the condition of Cox’s Bazar beach in reality did not match what she had seen in photographs and videos. The pits in the sand and scattered geobags were making it difficult to walk, particularly with children, she said.
Sazzadul Kabir, a tourist from Cumilla, said his foot nearly became trapped in one of the pits formed after the sand was washed away. If the erosion was not checked quickly, tourists could lose interest in visiting the beach, he said.
Md Alamgir, a chair-and-umbrella business operator on the beach, said the chairs had to be moved behind the geobags during high tide. As a result, tourists were reluctant to use them. Damage to the geobags was hurting businesses as well as diminishing the beauty of the beach, he said.
What the research shows
A study published in 2025 examined changes along the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf coast between 1989 and 2024. It found that 1,085 hectares of land had disappeared into the sea over the 35-year period.
At the same time, sediment deposition had created 284 hectares of new land. In other words, the amount of erosion was nearly four times the amount of land created through sediment deposition.
The researchers said natural factors—including waves, ocean currents, tides, cyclones and storm surges, rising sea levels and climate change—as well as various human activities were responsible for the erosion.
The rise in sea level along the Cox’s Bazar coast has also emerged in research. A study conducted by the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) for the Department of Environment found that sea levels were rising by an average of 5.05 millimetres a year in Cox’s Bazar and 7.5 millimetres a year in Maheshkhali. These rates are higher than the recent global average rate of sea-level rise.
Researchers, however, said climate change was not the only factor affecting sea-level changes. Gradual land subsidence, tidal patterns and changes in the coastal landform also play a role.
Another study published in 2025 on erosion risks along the Cox’s Bazar coast identified storm surges, rising sea levels and human intervention as significant factors. The study estimated the contribution of storm surges to erosion risk at 20 per cent, sea-level rise at 17.8 per cent and human intervention at 15.6 per cent.
The erosion along the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf coast therefore cannot be viewed solely as a natural phenomenon. Alongside climate change and rising sea levels, various human activities along the coast are also increasing the risks, the study found.
Climate experts say that unless Cox’s Bazar can be protected from the effects of global warming, the tourism city will face significant risks over the coming decades.
Why is erosion intensifying, and what can be done?
There is no single cause behind erosion along the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf coast. In 2024, an expert team from the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute reviewed erosion along the beach and identified factors including heavy rainfall, runoff from the hills, high tides, waves and the destruction of natural sand dunes.
The team recommended three types of measures: natural protection, semi-engineered measures and engineering interventions where necessary.
Oceanographer and climate researcher Dr Abdul Qayyum said a permanent solution could not be achieved by using geobags along Cox’s Bazar’s long beach. An integrated approach to coastal management was needed, he said.
Abdul Qayyum said countries around the world were trying to protect their beaches through “integrated coastal zone management”. Bangladesh could also adopt long-term plans to conserve natural sand dunes, regularly replenish beach sand and introduce engineering measures where necessary, he said.
Research has also highlighted the need for beach nourishment and regular monitoring as part of future management of the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf coast.
Khandakar Mahmud Pasha, deputy director of the Cox’s Bazar office of the Department of Environment, said sand dunes were the coast’s natural line of defence. Rather than relying entirely on artificial embankments, dunes could be restored using coastal plants such as beach morning glory and Nishinda that help hold sand in place, he said.
Md Ayasur Rahman, president of the Cox’s Bazar Bachao Andolon and a senior lawyer, said a long-term plan was needed instead of placing geobags every year as a temporary measure. Nature-based approaches such as beach nourishment and natural dune management could be considered, he said.
The Bangladesh Water Development Board is installing geobag protection embankments along the beach. Md Nurul Islam, executive engineer of the organisation, said work was under way to prepare development project proposals (DPPs) for permanent erosion-control projects after identifying high-risk areas. Work to control erosion would begin once funding was allocated, he said.