According to a recent study conducted by Cornell University and Schroders, Bangladesh could lose apparent export earnings of nearly $27 billion and 250,000 jobs by 2030 due to climate-induced disruptions. The findings of the study fall in line with the results of a survey conducted last year where apparel workers in Bangladesh confirmed that workplace heat has been considerably higher in recent years.
Our RMG sector in general has been in a rocky situation in recent years, with numerous buyers refusing to pay on time for their orders or canceling their orders outright before it's too late. With climate change now also posing a threat to what is essentially the engine of our economy, Bangladesh faces the risk of losing all the ground it has covered in terms of its economic development.
While it is absolutely true that Bangladesh has over-relied on the RMG sector for decades now, and experts have been urging for a more diverse export basket, with the sector facing one risk after the other, it is imperative that both the private and public sectors finally realized that export diversification is all but pressing for us moving forward.
Furthermore, this highlights Bangladesh’s vulnerable position due to climate change. Even though we are not responsible for this catastrophe, we are suffering immensely from the fallout. As such, the authorities have to push harder for climate justice, which in the short term can be served by loss and damage funds.
Bangladesh has acted as a sort of leader in the fight against climate change, which is why we need to double down on this role while making sure we get what we are owed due to the actions of first-world nations. All in all, we need to focus on our economic development by keeping the looming threat of climate change into cognizance.
Time and time again, our worst fears are coming true in that Bangladesh stands to lose the most due to the threats of climate change. The world must act now.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
