INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
As far back as she can remember, Shahanaz Ali has been running from cyclones
make it particularly vulnerable to climate change
Yet against the odds, Bangladeshis have adapted as best they can.Now a new report by the International Centre for Climate Change and
Development (ICCCAD), a leading research institute in Dhaka, warns that the country is reaching the limit of its ability to adapt to extreme
weather.Climate events in Bangladesh are increasing at such an alarming rate, it says, that current policies and adaptation strategies will
island, wade through flood water in the aftermath of Cyclone Bhola, which killed up to 500,000 people in 1970
Photograph: Express Newspapers/GettyIn 2005, Bangladesh was one of the first least-developed countries to develop a national programme of
action and has now become recognised as a global leader in adaptation and resilience
Government policy and local initiatives have averted the worst effects and saved millions of lives; the death toll from cyclones alone has
fallen from up to 500,000 during Cyclone Bhola in 1970 to 35 during Cyclone Sitrang in 2022.Prof Mizan Khan, deputy director of ICCCAD and
effectiveness.To help her community become more climate resilient, Ali, 36, who is now settled in Barishal, joined the Hatkhola Squad, a
female-led disaster-response team, set up by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society
Ahead of the cyclone season, the women go from house to house to help neighbours prepare and make sure they know when and how to safely
evacuate.The transformative, community-led approach of these women has inspired others to join
Nipa Khatun, 23, one of the younger members, sees it as an opportunity to challenge cultural stereotypes.View image in fullscreenA meeting
of the Hatkhola Squad at the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society in Barishal
Due to limited funding, the Bangladesh Red Crescent has only been able to support 2,500 people in the community, despite a need to help many
more.The ICCCAD report, one of the first to look at the limits of adaptation in the country, is dedicated to the lead author, Prof Saleemul
Huq, the renowned Bangladeshi scientist and director of the centre who died last October
coordination and government investment; locally led adaptation; fair loss and damage funding; and a large-scale shift to secure, low-carbon
partners need to step up financing for local adaptation.The Bangladesh government spends roughly 7% of its annual budget on climate
adaptation, about 75% of which comes from domestic sources
However, scaling up measures outlined in the National Adaptation Plan will require seven times the current spending.View image in
fullscreenVehicles drive through a flooded Dhaka after heavy monsoon rains in September 2022
support nations facing the brunt of climate crisis
There are concerns, however, about the size of the fund and it being managed by the World Bank
we welcome the loss-and-damage fund, it is nowhere near what is needed
of Cop28, Bangladesh initiated talks on setting up a Climate Development Partnership Platform, the first of its kind in Asia, to bolster its
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
