The impact of land use change awareness on the psychological adaptation of migrant communities in Khulna city

Rapid land use and land cover change in coastal Bangladesh has intensified climate-related displacement toward secondary cities, particularly Khulna. Satellite-based evidence from Khulna District shows substantial environmental transformation between 2018 and 2024, including a sharp expansion of built-up land by more than 140 sq. km and a corresponding loss of vegetated and productive landscapes. Tree cover alone declined by over 110 sq. km, while flooded vegetation and rangeland experienced pronounced contraction, signaling the long-term degradation of rural land systems that previously sustained livelihoods. These spatial changes form the structural backdrop for large-scale internal climate migration into Khulna city. This study examines how awareness of land use change influences the psychological resilience of climate migrants after relocation. Using a qualitative survey approach, data were collected from 100 climate migrants residing in migrant-dense wards of Khulna city. The analysis focuses on how migrants’ understanding of land degradation, land conversion, and the permanence of environmental loss shapes coping capacity, emotional stability, and future orientation. Findings suggest that heightened awareness of irreversible land transformation in places of origin reinforces perceptions of forced and permanent displacement. This awareness simultaneously supports acceptance-based coping strategies while also intensifying ecological grief and anxiety. Limited awareness of urban land use dynamics, including tenure insecurity and rapid urban densification, further constrains psychological resilience. By integrating key spatial land use changes with migrant narratives, the study highlights land use change awareness as a critical yet underexplored dimension of climate migrant resilience and underscores the need for place-sensitive urban and mental health planning in receiving cities.