LocationsUntil Everyone Is Safe: Early Warning Systems Strengthening Safety and Resilience in Cox’s Bazar
June 20, 2026
Every monsoon season, the arrival of heavy rainfall brings renewed uncertainty for thousands of Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host community members living in Cox’s Bazar. For families residing on steep and fragile hillsides, intense rainfall can quickly trigger landslides, threatening shelters, infrastructure, livelihoods, and lives.
For communities already facing multiple vulnerabilities, safety is not only about having a place to live—it is also about having the information, preparedness, and support needed to stay safe when disaster risks emerge.
Since 2017, Cox’s Bazar has hosted more than one million Rohingya refugees alongside host communities who continue to share resources, services, and exposure to climate and disaster risks. During the monsoon season, landslides remain one of the most significant hazards affecting both populations. Between 2018 and 2025, more than 3,100 landslide incidents were recorded across the camps, affecting over 73,000 people. Women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities are often among the most vulnerable during such emergencies.
To strengthen preparedness and support timely action, UNDP Bangladesh, with financial support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy and in collaboration with government and humanitarian partners, has established an Optical Rain Gauge and Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) across some of the most landslide-prone locations in Cox’s Bazar.
The system continuously monitors rainfall through automated optical rain gauges installed across vulnerable sites. Every fifteen minutes, rainfall data is transmitted and analysed against scientifically established landslide thresholds. When dangerous conditions are detected, automated alerts are disseminated to government authorities, camp management, humanitarian responders, and community volunteers, enabling preparedness and response measures before disaster strikes.
Today, the system monitors twelve highly vulnerable refugee camps and surrounding host communities, supporting preparedness for approximately one million people living under landslide risk. By providing real-time information and enabling anticipatory action, the system helps communities, responders, and authorities make informed decisions when every minute matters.
Visiting Landslide Early Warning System in Rohingya refugee camps
“Landslide risks affect both refugee camps and neighbouring host communities, particularly during the monsoon season. Having access to timely early warning information helps communities prepare in advance, take precautionary measures, and reduce risks when heavy rainfall creates dangerous conditions,” said Jamaluddin from the host community.
Beyond the technology itself, the initiative represents a broader shift from reacting to disasters after they occur to anticipating risks before they become emergencies. Through collaboration among government institutions, technical agencies, humanitarian partners, and communities, the system strengthens preparedness, improves coordination, and contributes to safer living conditions for both refugees and host populations.
“We have designed this project focused on effective landslide risk management, collaborating with the government and other stakeholders for building resilience,” said Stefan Liller, then Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh.
The initiative also reflects the importance of long-term investments in resilience and risk reduction. The Royal Norwegian Embassy has been a key partner in supporting efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and community resilience in Cox’s Bazar.
During a visit to the landslide early warning and nature-based solutions initiatives, H.E. Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, Ambassador of Norway to Bangladesh, noted that Norway’s partnership with UNDP is helping protect lives and livelihoods by combining rainfall monitoring, early warning systems, stronger local capacity, and community-based approaches
By strengthening early warning capacities and supporting anticipatory action, investments in resilience are helping ensure that communities are not only able to respond to risks but are also better.