Findings from the locally led People’s Adaptation Plans for inclusive water and sanitation services for 106 low-income communities across 17 wards of the Chittagong City Corporation area were presented at a national consultation held on Monday, at the Lakeshore Hotel in Dhaka.
The process of developing the People’s Adaptation Plans was facilitated by WaterAid Bangladesh and Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK), with support from the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government, to inform the World Bank-financed Chittagong Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSIP).
The consultation aimed to present the outcomes of the People’s Plans, gather feedback from stakeholders, identify existing gaps and establish a consensus on the next steps for finalizing the People’s Adaptation Plan.
The event was attended by over 60 key stakeholders, including representatives from Chittagong Wasa, Chittagong City Corporation, the Local Government Division, the British High Commission and civil society.
As part of the People’s Adaptation Planning process, local partners WaterAid Bangladesh and DSK facilitated climate risk profiling and participatory risk assessments in 106 low-income communities.
This community-led data collection was complemented by scientific climate risk assessments conducted by the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet).
Initiated in Chittagong in June 2024 with the endorsement of Chittagong City Corporation and Chittagong Wasa, this effort was aimed at informing investments under the World Bank’s Chittagong Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSIP).
The locally led initiative has resulted in the formulation of adaptation plans tailored to the specific vulnerabilities and needs of these communities.
These plans underwent thorough verification and refinement through consultations at the ward and city levels, incorporating valuable feedback from various stakeholders and relevant authorities.
"Climate change is an everyday reality, not a distant threat—but its complexity, often cloaked in jargon, frequently alienates the very people it impacts most. To make adaptation meaningful, we must internalize climate action, embed it into national planning and empower locally led responses," said Ms Hasin Jahan, country director for WaterAid Bangladesh.
Expressing appreciation for the partnership with WaterAid and DSK, Dr M Feisal Rahman, country manager of Global Center on Adaptation Bangladesh, emphasized that through the Global Hub on Locally Led Adaptation (LLA), GCA aims to scale up LLA by linking the People’s Adaptation Plans developed by communities to investments by international financial institutions (IFIs) under its Adaptation Acceleration Program.
"Although parts of the People’s Plans will be implemented by the CWSIP Project, I urge all the city authorities—Chittagong Wasa, City Corporation and Chittagong Development Authority—to integrate these plans into your annual city development plans," he added.
"We are responsible for climate change—our consumerism drives it. In the Wash sector, which is critically important, we can’t afford to wait until it’s too late. We must be proactive, shift our mindset, and act before we reach the point of no return," said Md Fazlur Rahman, additional secretary, Water Supply Division, Local Government Division and Managing Director, Dhaka Wasa.
"These types of community-led plans will help all Wasas to plan their service provision. I request WaterAid to share the findings with all Wasas through a coordination platform," he added.
"This kind of locally led planning is essential for inclusive and climate-resilient urban development. The lessons learned from these plans will be particularly valuable for the Locally Led Adaptation Framework and the National Urban Policy, which the Bangladesh Government is currently finalizing. I would like to thank GCA and its partners for taking such a timely initiative," said ABM Feroz Ahmed, livelihood adviser and deputy team leader for the Climate Change and Environment team at the British High Commission Dhaka.
"Chittagong City Corporation does not have a dedicated R&D wing, and we feel the need for it every day. This kind of in-depth community-led assessment will help guide future service delivery in low-income communities. We are committed to incorporating solutions identified in the People’s Adaptation Plans into our next annual development plan," said Sheikh Mohammed Tauhidul Islam, chief executive officer, Chittagong City Corporation.
The climate risk assessment results and the solutions identified in the adaptation plans will assist CWASA in better targeting low-income communities as part of the CWSIP.
Considering CWASA’s ongoing and upcoming project portfolio, Mahbubul Alam, superintending engineer of Chittagong wasa, expressed hope that by 2030, the organization will be able to ensure water access to all citizens, including low-income communities.
"However, to address future needs, particularly due to rapid urbanization, we need technical support to develop a detailed water sourcing strategy. I would request WaterAid and GCA to support us in this regard," he concluded.
