Shelter and Settlements

Under the Shelter and Settlement Unit, UNHCR provides shelter support to refugees by ensuring access to improved shelter solutions that offer adequate protection, safety, security, and sufficient space to live and store belongings with dignity. These efforts aim to reduce vulnerability to both natural and human-induced hazards, including monsoon, flooding, fire, and landslides. Support includes both regular and emergency shelter repair and maintenance based on needs, as well as new shelter construction through a replanning approach. New shelters are constructed in clusters, prioritizing hazard-prone areas and the condition of existing shelters. This activity includes:

• Emergency Shelter Maintenance Support
• Regular Shelter Maintenance Support
• Construction of New Shelter – Steel/Concrete footing treated bamboo
• Construction of New Shelter – Single story for Registered camps
• Construction of New Shelter – Composite Bamboo Shelter (CBS)
• Construction of New Shelter – Double storied Shelter (DSS)
• Construction of New Shelter – Temporary Safer Shelter (TSS)

Under the Shelter and Settlement Unit, Site Development activities focus on enhancing land usability within the camps and surrounding areas. This includes the construction, repair, and maintenance of access roads, drainage systems, and slope stabilization measures. These interventions aim to:

• Improve access to facilities and services in all seasons.
• Protect against slope failure and manage natural terrain.
• Minimize environmental impact through maintaining natural and constructed drainage systems

The approach emphasizes community engagement, with refugees actively involved throughout the process. This not only strengthens community ownership but also builds capacity and creates livelihood opportunities.

The ultimate goal is to enable refugees to live in safe and well-planned settlements, with equitable access to communal services that meet basic needs, support law and order, and connect with national service networks. These improvements also benefit the host community and contribute to enhanced social cohesion. This activity includes:

• Construction and/or Maintenance of Access Pathway (CC Block/Geo bag/Jute bag)
• Construction and/or Maintenance of Bamboo bridges
• Construction and/or Maintenance of Metal Foot bridges
• Construction and/or Maintenance of Fence/Railing
• Construction and/or Maintenance of Stair (Brick/Bamboo)
• Construction and/or Maintenance of Vehicular Access-(BFS/HBB)
• Construction and/or Maintenance of Drainages (NbS/Brick/Bamboo-Geotextile)
• Construction and/or Maintenance of Slope Stabilization, Terracing, Retaining wall, Embankments

Bangladesh hosts over one million Rohingya refugees, mostly in the congested refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar District. At the initial phase of the Rohingya refugee influx in 2017, most settlements were spontaneously set up, without proper site planning, leading to overcrowding, inadequate living conditions, and heightened risks of fire, landslides, and flooding. Additionally, the lack of strategic spatial planning for infrastructure and facilities contributed to inefficient use of critical resources such as funding and land. In order to overcome the above highlighted challenges, an Integrated Settlement Planning (ISP) is required for all camps to optimize available space for sustainable settlements.

Under Shelter and Settlement Unit, UNHCR provides Settlement Planning Support through the ISP approach, seeks to enhance safety and dignity of the living conditions of both Rohingya refugees and host communities, strengthen climate change adaptation and resilience, and facilitate integrated service delivery. The ISP approach comprises three levels of planning:

• MACRO settlement plan is a spatial strategy and broad vision for all camps, ensuring that the current and future interventions within the camps align with a broader development framework of Cox’s Bazar. It incorporates climate action by embedding mitigation and adaptation measures, helps prioritize projects amid resource constraints, and offers long-term guidance for any future interventions.
• MESO plan – Camp level settlement planning is the land use zoning exercise at the camp level to identify spaces for residence and facilities, as well as areas restricted for construction such as steep slopes, landslide and flood prone areas and natural drainage systems, and maximize opportunities for environmental rehabilitation through the blue-green networks.
• MICRO plan – Block/ Sub block level settlement planning is the detailed plans for specific blocks, such as those developed in response to Camp 5 Block C (after the fire incident), reconstruction of Camp 4ext Block F and Camp 26 Block H.

UNHCR’s energy program delivers sustainable solutions in refugee settings through clean cooking technologies, solar lighting, renewable energy for critical facilities, and community-led energy awareness. By partnering with local and international stakeholders, the initiative enhances safety, health, and energy access while promoting environmental resilience.

• Renewable Energy Integration for Critical Facilities
• Community Lighting Programs
• Development of Clean Cooking Technologies and Advocacy for Improved Distribution
• Energy Efficiency and Awareness Campaigns
• Development of Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects
• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
• Maps and pictures (Maps are optional)

Frequently Asked Questions on UNHCR Energy Program in refugee settings