Flash floods pose a significant threat to Bangladesh; in particular, on 20 August 2024, the Feni district experienced a major flash flood, affecting more than 550,000 people and causing widespread damage. To effectively mitigate the impacts of flash floods, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive flash flood vulnerability assessment, incorporating multiple triggering factors. This study aims to assess flash flood vulnerability in the Feni District through a unique approach, integrating various dimensions of vulnerability. The study utilizes a geospatial methodology, employing the formula of vulnerability developed by UNESCO-IHE. Four dimensions of vulnerability were analyzed: social, physical, economic, and environmental. For each dimension, specific variables were selected to assess exposure, susceptibility, and resilience. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to assign weights to these variables. The geospatial layers of influencing vulnerability factors were integrated together to create flash flood vulnerability maps of four dimensions. These were then overlaid to generate a composite flash flood vulnerability map. The analysis revealed a distinct spatial distribution of vulnerability across Feni District. In terms of environmental vulnerability due to flash flood, about 14% of the total area falls into the very highly vulnerable zone, whereas 13%, 8% and 5% of the study area were found to be very highly vulnerable regarding social, economic and physical aspects, respectively. The composite flash flood vulnerability map identified key vulnerability hotspots, with the most vulnerable unions (the smallest administrative unit in Bangladesh) being Feni Pourashava (68% very high), Sonagazi Paurashava (40% very high), and Nawabpur (32% very high), while the least vulnerable areas were Jailashkara (58% very low), Anandapur (81% very low), and Darbarpur (82% very low). The results show that the Feni District’s flash flood susceptibility varies significantly throughout the region, which provide crucial insights for policymakers and local authorities in order to identify vulnerability hotspots, prioritize interventions in vulnerable areas, enhance flash flood resilience, and implement adaptive strategies.

Coastal settlements in Bangladesh are geographically flood-prone areas. This physical nature erodes the size and shape of those settlement boundaries over time. Such changes leave communities vulnerable in terms of securing a living place and livelihoods. However, the research arena rarely addresses the long-term changing aspects of settlement and the local governance responses to vulnerability. To examine this situation, this study explored settlement transformation patterns and governance challenges, using the case study of Chattogram Division in Bangladesh from 2005 to 2025. It applied a mixed-methods approach. The analysis, using the technique of Multi-temporal Landsat imagery with Random Forest classification, revealed complex settlement trajectories. It showed built-up areas expanded significantly between 2005 and 2015 but shrank by 2025, reflecting both hazard exposure and displacement pressures. Union-level analysis identified 62 coastal unions with high to very high settlement change. Conducting field surveys in selected Juidandi and Kalamarchhara unions through focus group discussions with communities and interviews with local officials highlighted recurring inundation, permanent land loss affecting thousands of households, and persistent disruptions to livelihoods. This study also found moderate emergency responses in selected unions; however, strategic planning for relocation, health, and well-being of communities is insufficient. Continuous resource constraints and poor coordination with communities and line organizations made local implementation less effective, which blurs the effectiveness of disaster risk reduction policies. These findings underscore the necessity of union-level governance capacity building, integrating community-based adaptation with formal interventions, and developing spatially differentiated relocation strategies to enhance the resilience of climate-vulnerable coastal settlements.