Deforestation as a Site of Conflict and Differentiation: The Case of the Rohingya Refugee Influx in the Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary

Studies on the impacts of deforestation associated with refugee movements on local livelihoods and inter-community conflict often treat host community groups as monolithic, with no analysis of how competition over dwindling forest resources disproportionately affects more vulnerable members. We use the sustainable livelihoods framework and environmental-conflict theories to illustrate the interconnections among migration, deforestation, and livelihoods through the lens of the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh, with a focus on ethnic and economic marginalization and intra-community social cohesion. The deforestation of over 3,000 hectares associated with the Rohingya refugee influx has resulted in the loss of various forest-dependent livelihoods, such as fuelwood collection, livestock rearing, and agroforestry. We analyzed data from focus group discussions with forest-dependent host community members and key informant interviews with journalists, local politicians, and NGO workers, which show that the effects of deforestation on the host community have disproportionately impacted ethnically and economically marginalized members, especially in terms of livestock rearing, agroforestry, and food insecurity. Our findings also show that conditions that promote heightened group identity and relative deprivation among host community groups, which have long-term influence on intra-community cohesion, are also a result of deforestation.