Unchecked sand mining, destroyed vegetation, failing geobags and climate pressures are rapidly shrinking the world’s longest natural sea beach, endangering tourism, livelihoods and coastal ecosystems in Bangladesh.

Cox’s Bazar, home to one of the world’s longest unbroken natural sea beaches stretching roughly 120 kilometres from Nazirartek to Teknaf, is confronting a severe existential crisis. What was once a vast expanse of golden sand celebrated by millions of domestic and international tourists is steadily vanishing under the combined assault of natural forces and human activity. Local residents report that at least 500 feet of the beach’s sandy stretch has disappeared into the Bay of Bengal over the past five years alone.

Sections of the beach have dropped several feet in places. Geobags installed to hold back the waves lie torn, displaced or perched on empty cavities where the sand beneath them have been washed away. The temporary measures, intended as a stopgap against erosion, have in many spots only highlighted the problem rather than solving it.

Sand Extraction and Vegetation Loss Drive Rapid Decline

Environmentalists and local observers point to a catalogue of destructive practices. Unchecked extraction of sand from the sea and beach itself ranks among the most damaging. The simultaneous destruction of beach vegetation and casuarina trees has stripped the shoreline of its natural anchors. These trees and plants once stabilised the loose sand and absorbed wave energy. Their removal has left the beach far more vulnerable to the relentless action of tides and currents.

HM Faridul Alam Shaheen, joint convener of the local environmental group Dharitri Rokkhae Amra, was blunt: “The beach is gradually losing its existence because of sand extraction from the sea and the destruction of beach vegetation and casuarina trees.” He added that geobags “are not working” and “are also affecting the natural beauty of the beach. Every year, a significant amount of money is being spent on geobags, but it seems that the entire expenditure is going into the water.”

Interference with the natural movement of seawater, beach encroachment, pollution from tourism activities, inadequate drainage systems and unplanned urbanisation have compounded the crisis. Hotels, restaurants and other infrastructure have proliferated along the shore, often without adequate environmental safeguards.

Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise Intensify the Pressure

While human actions are primary drivers according to many experts, climate change is amplifying the threat. Sea levels along the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar coast are rising faster than the global average. Studies indicate rates of 3.7 to 4.2 mm per year in recent assessments, with some estimates for the eastern coast reaching higher figures. Projections under high-emission scenarios suggest the possibility of a one-metre rise by the end of the century, which would dramatically accelerate shoreline retreat.

Scientific analyses of shoreline dynamics over multi-decade periods show net landward movement in the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf segment. One study documented a maximum retreat of approximately 2.9 km over 30 years in parts of the south-eastern coast, with average rates around 0.096 km per year in eroding zones. Another assessment recorded the loss of more than 1,000 hectares of land to erosion between 1989 and 2024 in the broader Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf area, far outpacing accretion.

Storm surges, stronger cyclones, high tidal amplitudes and altered wave patterns linked to a warming climate further batter the weakened shoreline. Heavy monsoon rains and hill torrents have also been identified in expert reports as significant contributors in recent years, washing sediment seaward and undermining beach stability.

Sand Dunes Under Assault from Infrastructure Projects

The natural sand dunes that once formed a critical buffer against waves and storm surges are themselves under direct attack. In recent months, construction of a 1.2- to 1.6-kilometre, 28-metre-wide four-lane road and concrete “town protection embankment” on the active dunes of Sugandha Beach has sparked intense controversy. Funded in part by a Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan and executed by Cox’s Bazar Municipality, the project has already flattened multiple dunes measuring 8 to 10 feet high. Native vegetation such as Sagorlota (beach morning glory), which roots deeply and stabilises sand, has been uprooted and buried.

Environmentalists and planners warn that hard structures on active dunes cause wave reflection and accelerated scouring of the beach face – a phenomenon known as beach scouring. The entire stretch falls within an Ecologically Critical Area declared in 1999, where construction close to the tidal zone is restricted. The High Court has issued orders, including an eight-week halt to construction activities, following petitions citing violations of earlier directives to preserve the beach’s natural features and the absence of proper environmental clearance.

Critics argue that destroying these natural defences in the name of development risks both ecological collapse and long-term economic losses for a district heavily dependent on beach tourism.

Tourism Economy and Local Livelihoods at Stake

Cox’s Bazar’s economy revolves around its beach. Hundreds of hotels, motels and guesthouses cater to visitors, supporting thousands of jobs. Erosion threatens not only the scenic appeal that draws crowds but also the physical safety of shoreline properties. Sections of Marine Drive and beachfront establishments already face heightened risk during high tides and rough seas.

Beyond tourism, coastal communities depend on fishing, limited agriculture and related activities. Saltwater intrusion, loss of farmland and displacement have already affected thousands in nearby areas such as Kutubdia and parts of the mainland. Wider regional studies indicate that erosion, combined with mangrove loss and hill deforestation linked partly to refugee settlements, has heightened overall environmental vulnerability across much of the district.

Temporary Fixes Fail; Calls Grow for Sustainable Solutions

Authorities have relied heavily on geobags and limited embankment works. Officials from the Water Development Board acknowledge the severity of the problem and note that permanent solutions require larger-scale funding and planning. Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md A Mannan stated that erosion-prone areas are being identified and a Development Project Proposal is under preparation for government funding.

Experts consistently emphasise that geobags offer only short-term relief. Long-term strategies must prioritise beach nourishment, restoration of dunes and native vegetation, regulated sand extraction, improved drainage, and strict enforcement of ecological zoning. Nature-based solutions – rather than purely hard engineering – are widely recommended in international coastal management practice and in World Bank assessments of Bangladesh’s shoreline challenges.

Scientific monitoring of morphology, sediment texture and shoreline change must continue, alongside community involvement in protection efforts. Without decisive, coordinated action that balances development with ecological limits, the golden sands that define Cox’s Bazar risk becoming a memory rather than a living national treasure.

The crisis is not abstract. It is visible in the receding shoreline, the displaced geobags, the flattened dunes and the anxious voices of residents who have watched the beach shrink year after year. The world’s longest natural sea beach is running out of time.