Caught In-between

Kutubdia, an island off the coast of Bangladesh, stands on the frontline of the climate crisis, threatened by sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and recurring cyclones that have submerged vast tracts since the 1970s. Once sustained by salt farms and fishing villages, the island now embodies a community suspended between survival and displacement. Technical surveys document rapid shoreline retreat, with salt-farming potentially accelerating osmosis-driven sea-water inundation in the soil, while shrinking agricultural land deepens dependence on fragile livelihoods. The proposal advances a phased resilience framework combining protection and adaptation. Immediate measures reinforce embankments, restore mangroves, and provide cyclone-resilient shelters. Later phases reorganize land to reclaim salt farms, establish lagoon-based ecosystems, and promote vertical settlement growth. Salt is reconceived as both resource and structure, forming modular units of bamboo, stone, and salt bricks engineered to resist cyclonic forces. Coupled with floating schools, lagoon aquaculture, and renewable micro-grids, the design empowers self-organizing communities to extend island life while preparing for managed migration.