Section 1 — Introduction
Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, and will become even more so as a result of ongoing climate change. Floods, tropical cyclones, storm surges, and droughts are likely to become more frequent and severe in the coming years. These changes will threaten the significant achievements Bangladesh has made over the past two decades in raising incomes and reducing poverty, and will make it considerably more difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Over the past 35 years, the Government of Bangladesh, with the support of development partners, has invested over US$10 billion to make the country less vulnerable to natural disasters. These investments include flood management schemes, coastal polders, cyclone and flood shelters, and the raising of roads and highways above flood level. The government has also developed state-of-the-art early-warning systems for floods, cyclones, and storm surges, and is expanding community-based disaster preparedness programmes.
Critical projection: It is predicted that by 2030, an additional 14.3% of the country will become extremely vulnerable to floods, while existing flood-prone areas will face higher and more frequent inundation. Historical analysis suggests that approximately 26% of the country is subject to annual flooding and a further 42% is at risk of varying degrees of flood intensity (IPCC, 2002).
The climate change risk in Bangladesh creates insecurities across food, water, life, property, settlement, and livelihoods. By 2030 and 2050, sea levels are projected to rise by at least 30 cm and 50 cm respectively — changes that could seriously affect Bangladesh (World Bank, 2000). The most recent projections indicate that a 25 cm sea level rise alone would submerge 40% of the Sundarbans mangrove forest. Climate change will also exacerbate saline intrusion through rivers, groundwater aquifers, and increased storm surges carrying seawater further inland.
Section 2 — Significance of the Study
This study is significant because of the critical need to understand how governmental and non-governmental organisations approach climate change challenges, and to evaluate what strategies they employ for their projects. The research provides direction on how the potential effects of climate change and adaptation options can be factored into policy-making at both the national and community level.
Researchers and practitioners alike have increasingly recognised that awareness-raising and capacity-building must be integrated with adaptation and mitigation activities to make them more effective. Adaptation and mitigation remain the two main strategic responses to climate change. Experts have particularly emphasised that for poor, vulnerable countries such as Bangladesh, community-based adaptation approaches are not merely one option among many — they are essential.
Long-term, medium-term, and short-term strategies must be developed simultaneously. Resources, skills, and expertise across a partnership platform — spanning government, non-government, and international organisations, as well as academics and researchers — must be brought to bear collectively to strengthen the capacity of the entire population to respond to a changing climate.
Section 3 — Objectives of the Study
The principal objective of this study is to examine the approaches adopted by GO-NGO activities in response to the challenges of climate change in Bangladesh. Specific objectives include: (1) To learn about the experiences of GOs and NGOs working on climate change adaptation and mitigation. (2) To identify when and how these organisations provide their activities to communities. (3) To identify the shortcomings of current approaches and propose strategies to address them. (4) To advocate for stronger coordination and strategic partnerships among stakeholders.
Section 4 — Methodology
Research Approach: The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative description with quantitative documentation analysis. A qualitative approach was adopted to allow participant organisations — GOs and NGOs — to share their experiences from their own perspectives, ensuring that institutional context and on-the-ground realities were captured accurately.
Data Collection: The principal data collection method was documentation and content analysis. A survey questionnaire was developed and sent to selected organisations, inquiring about climate change issues, the number and type of projects undertaken in the past and present, and planned future initiatives. Secondary data were collected from UNDP reports, IPCC assessments, environment library publications, Disaster Management Bureau resources, and the international IUCN library.
Sample: From thousands of GOs and NGOs operating in Bangladesh, 85 organisations were identified. Fifteen organisations were selected for field data collection using purposive sampling, targeting those actively engaged in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Interviews were conducted by pre-appointment at selected locations.
Secondary Data Sources: United Nations Information Center (UNIC) — UNDP human development reports, IPCC policies; Environment Development Library (Agargaon) — climate change, disaster, GO/NGO policies; Disaster Management Bureau publications; Climate Change Unit (Ban Bhaban) publications; IUCN Bangladesh Library; IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (2007).
Section 5 — Findings and Analysis
5.1 Overview of Stakeholders on Climate Change Issues
The analysis reveals that NGOs are more active on climate change issues in Bangladesh than government organisations, both in terms of the number of organisations involved and the breadth of activities undertaken. Among the organisations surveyed, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) emerged as the foremost organisation working on climate change issues in Bangladesh. The Department of Environment (DoE) was ranked second. Other key organisations identified included IUCN, BUET, CEGIS, IWM, BUP, ActionAid, and UNDP.
5.2 Climate Change Project Areas in Bangladesh
Climate change activities in Bangladesh are unevenly distributed geographically. The majority of organisations concentrate their efforts in the North-Northwest regions (Rangpur, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Rajshahi) and along the coastal belt of the Eastern part of Bangladesh. Rural and remote districts remain significantly underserved, creating a geographical equity gap in adaptation programming.
5.4 Climate Change Issues and Most Vulnerable Sectors
Participant organisations identified the following sectors as most vulnerable to climate change: agriculture, health, water and sanitation, natural resources, social aspects, economy, forestry, fisheries, communication, and transport. The most frequently cited climate change issues were: air pollution, cyclone, flood, drought, sea level rise, salinity intrusion, global warming, seasonal variability, deforestation, land subsidence, and tidal surge.
Table 5.4 — Leading Climate Change Impact by Sector:
| Sector | Flood | Drought | Cyclone | Salinity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Resources | 31.76% | 24.70% | 20.00% | — |
| Social aspects | 27.05% | — | — | — |
| Economy | 34.12% | 21.18% | 22.35% | — |
| Fisheries | 35.29% | 23.52% | 15.12% | 28.23% |
| Forestry | 36.47% | 23.52% | 22.35% | 21.17% |
| Health | 35.29% | 23.52% | 22.35% | — |
| Water & Sanitation | 28.23% | 21.17% | — | — |
5.5 Sectors of Interest of Different Stakeholders
Most NGOs and government organisations prefer to work in the agriculture and water sectors, while development partners and research institutes focus more heavily on the water sector. Government organisations confine activities to their respective mandates. NGOs showed the broadest sectoral interest, extending beyond core sectors to livelihood, education, infrastructure, and disaster risk reduction.
Table 5.5 — % of Stakeholders by Sector Interest (Adaptation):
| Sector | NGOs | Dev. Partners | Research Inst. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 27.05% | 8.24% | 11.76% |
| Agriculture | 31.76% | <4.70% | <4.70% |
| Energy (mitigation) | 7.05% | 7.05% | highest |
| Forestry (mitigation) | 8.24% | 3.52% | — |
5.9 Approaches Adopted by GO-NGOs
Data collected from the fifteen selected organisations revealed that while most have some form of climate change response, only three or four maintain specific dedicated climate change projects. Four principal approaches were identified:
Community-Based Adaptation (CBA): The most widely recommended approach for Bangladeshi NGOs. Relies on community connections to incorporate climate change into long-term community-owned support systems. Applied by ActionAid, CNRS, IUCN, Oxfam, Practical Action, ARCAB, CCHPU, and CPRD.
Participatory Development: Emphasises bottom-up planning and community ownership. Practical Action focuses on strengthening communities from the ground up and building on local coping strategies. CPRD uses participatory research to generate innovative adaptation technologies.
Mitigation — Energy Sector: Organisations with energy sector mandates focus on comparative advantages in mitigation: renewable energy access, energy efficiency in industry (e.g. brick kilns), and standard labelling for efficient appliances. Funded primarily through GEF/UNDP.
Research & Evidence-Based Policy: BCAS, CEGIS, and IWM focus on generating evidence to inform national policy. Their work spans vulnerability mapping, hydrological modelling, and scenario planning for future climate projections.
Key finding: The most significant barrier to effective GO-NGO climate action in Bangladesh is not a lack of effort, but a lack of coordination. Organisations frequently work in parallel on identical problems in the same communities without sharing data, experience, or resources. A national coordination mechanism — as advocated by BCAS, IUCN, and UNDP — is identified as the single highest-impact intervention available.
Section 6 — Conclusion and Recommendations
This research critically examined the climate change approaches adopted by GO and NGO activities in Bangladesh. The findings reveal that in order to more effectively address climate change, working through development partnerships and sustained commitment is essential. The diversity of organisations currently engaged represents a significant national asset — but only if their efforts are better coordinated.
Key recommendations arising from this research: (1) Establish a formal national coordination mechanism — a shared platform where GOs, NGOs, development partners, and research institutions regularly share data, project results, and lessons learned. (2) Expand geographical coverage to include currently underserved districts, particularly in the Southwest coastal belt. (3) Scale up Community-Based Adaptation programmes, which have demonstrated the strongest on-the-ground results. (4) Integrate climate change explicitly into poverty-reduction programmes, recognising that climate vulnerability and poverty are structurally interconnected in Bangladesh. (5) Leverage international funding (GEF, DFID, UNDP, Danida) more strategically to fund multi-sectoral, multi-organisation programmes rather than isolated single-organisation projects. (6) Prioritise awareness-raising alongside technical interventions — community understanding of climate risks must accompany infrastructure investment to achieve durable resilience.
Conclusion: Bangladesh’s experience demonstrates that climate change is not merely an environmental challenge but a fundamental threat to sustainable development and poverty eradication. Effective response requires the combined and coordinated efforts of all actors — government, civil society, development partners, and communities — working within a shared strategic framework.