Adaptation to climate change: a case study on Bangladesh
Source :www.iop.org
Background: Due to its geography, topography, high population density and low resource base, Bangladesh
is the most climate vulnerable country in the whole world. Almost a third of its population, nearly 50 million
people, lives in areas which are highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods, droughts, cyclones and
tidal surges. Accordingly to the 4th IPCC Report, climate change is likely to make all these hazards more
severe and frequent in the future. In other words, climate change can wipe out years of painstakingly
achieved economic gains in a short period and threaten Bangladesh?s aspirations to become a middle-income
country in the next 20-25 years. Objectives: This paper will present a snapshot of how Bangladesh is trying
to tackle climate change through state and non-state actor sponsored initiatives. It will also highlight the key
constraints that Bangladesh is likely to face and provide suggestions on how to possibly overcome these
barriers.
Methodology: This paper is based on review of literature, field visits and interview with key informants. It
draws generously from existing documentations and reports available from various government and nongovernment
agencies and research institutes. Bangladesh?s state level preparedness is assessed in the context
of its investments in disaster management since early 1960s. Community level adaptations are assessed
based on a review of experiences to date with reference to sustainable livelihoods framework. Summary of
the results: Over the last 35 years, the Government of Bangladesh, with the support of development partners,
has invested over $10 billion to make the country more resilient against climate induced natural disasters.
There are about 10,000 km of embankments, 3500 km of drainage channels, 4,000 regulators and around
2100 cyclone shelters in Bangladesh to provide protection against flood, water logging, salt water intrusion
and cyclone. In addition, major roads and railway tracks have been raised above flood levels and most new
real estates are also built above historic flood levels. Scientists have made significant progress in developing
climate resilient crop varieties and farming systems. The challenge facing the country now is to protect these
investments against climate change and ensure that future investments are made climate-proof. Bangladesh?s
brand new Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (CCSAP) proposes a range of adaptation activities:
institutional (early warning systems, river management, land use zoning); physical (cyclone shelters,
embankments, drainage structures); agricultural (crop & livestock diversity, drought and flood resistant
varieties); environmental (mangrove belts, diverting freshwater flow, social forestry along
embankments/roads); and, livelihoods (income diversity, rural-urban linkages, market linkage). However,
the government must overcome two key challenges: ensure high-level institutional coordination among
various ministries, departments and agencies, and, secure adequate funds to implant the proposed Action
Plan. The government and key development partners are now setting up a multi-donor trust fund for climate
change to take this process forward. In addition to the state sponsored interventions, a range of adaptive
measures have been developed by the vulnerable communities, often with help from NGOs and extension
services of the Government. For example, growing vegetables on floating platforms and ring-beds, raising
plinths of cluster villages (including backyard gardens, tube-wells and latrines), growing salt-tolerant and
climate resilient crops, switching to shrimp culture (including organic shrimp) and crab fattening, rearing
duck instead of chickens in flood prone areas are all great examples of indigenous adaptations. Of course,
community level adaptations are very location specific and not all can be scaled up all over the country.
NGOs often employ a livelihoods framework to analyze the risks faced by households in a vulnerable
community and then explore mitigation options that reduce the risks and strengthen household and
community assets. Successful community-level adaptation often requires three key steps: adopt a gradual
process of adaptation; build on disaster preparedness; and, develop resilience. The third step is particularly
important – experience shows that one of the best defenses against shock is to diversify the livelihood ? to
increase the diversity of crops and livestock on a farm or more generally to have a wider set of sources of
income, often from off-farm sources.
Conclusions: Bangladesh is one of the countries at most risk from climate change. However, its government
and people have shown remarkable foresight and resilience over the years as regards managing climatic
hazards. Time has come to adopt a comprehensive and coordinated set of actions as proposed in the Climate
Change Strategy and Action Plan. .
overcome. Besides, this target cannot be achieved the Government alone ? communities, NGOs and
development partners must join hand. Lessons from past experiences, consistent political support,
responsive institutions, and timely availability of funds will help steer future activities in the right direction.

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BAngladesh climate-change

Tags: Bangladesh, Climate, GLobal Warming

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 10:09 pm and is filed under Bangladesh, Bangladesh, Weather. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.