As climate change worsens, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters increases, impacting millions of people worldwide. Rural communities in Bangladesh, characterized by poverty and heavy dependence on agriculture, are particularly vulnerable. While projections estimate that millions of people will be displaced due to climate shocks, very few specify the demographic that is most likely to migrate. This thesis challenges the notion that migration is a predominant coping mechanism in response to climate shocks, by examining the impact of flooding on the income of poor households in rural Bangladesh. To explore this topic, this work evaluates whether poor communities migrate to the same extent as proposed by previous literature. Utilizing a differences-in-differences approach, the model concludes that flood depths negatively impact income. Although the results suggest that there is no direct relationship between climate shocks and migration, income is identified as a ‘push’ factor for migration. These findings serve as a stepping stone for future research on the direct relationship between income and migration.
