By 2050, climate change may displace up to 19.9 million Bangladeshis and submerge 17% of Bangladesh’s land (nearly one-third of our farmland). Yet the climate crisis remains largely absent from our political agenda. Bangladesh is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, but climate change rarely features as a top priority in election manifestos or policy debates.
This disconnect between climate reality and politics carries profound risks. Despite having climate plans like the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP), the issue is often treated as peripheral, raised briefly after disasters or international summits, then forgotten.
That civil society felt compelled to urge political parties to include environmental issues “with due importance” in their election pledges and the fact that such public urging is needed speaks volumes: Leaders still view climate action as optional rather than essential.
A glaring result of this neglect is the mismanagement of climate funds. A large share of Bangladesh’s Climate Trust Fund was reportedly embezzled and diverted into unrelated projects. Meanwhile, the Environment Ministry receives only about 0.3% of the national budget. Such scant resources and oversight show that climate change has yet to be treated as a core priority on par with other sectors.
The high cost of inaction
The consequences of ignoring climate in policy are already being felt. In 2024, a cyclone forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate and destroyed tens of thousands of homes. Months later, monsoon floods inundated large areas, affecting over 18 million people.
These disasters push vulnerable families deeper into poverty. The World Bank estimates climate change could cut one-third of Bangladesh’s agricultural GDP by 2050 -- devastating given agriculture employs nearly half our workforce.
Crucially, the poorest and most marginalized citizens are hit hardest. When adaptation is not prioritized, farmers, coastal fishermen, and slum-dwellers suffer disproportionately. Many are already being forced to migrate from their homes as certain regions become uninhabitable.
Soon, millions of Bangladeshis may have no choice but to flee submerged coastal areas, creating a humanitarian crisis. If our political leaders continue to downplay climate change, the country’s hard-won development gains could be reversed by escalating disasters and social upheaval.
Locally-led adaptation: Empowering communities
A promising way forward is to embrace locally-led adaptation (LLA) -- an approach that puts communities at the heart of climate solutions.
LLA recognizes that those living with climate threats every day have invaluable knowledge and stakes in building resilience. It means giving frontline local actors -- village councils, town municipalities, and grassroots groups the funding,authority, and voice to implement adaptation initiatives. Communities should not be seen as mere victims of climate change, but as key agents of change.
Bangladesh is well positioned to champion this model. Our country has piloted local innovations for years, from community cyclone shelters to salt-tolerant crops. Indeed, Bangladesh’s new National Adaptation Plan explicitly calls for decentralized, locally-driven climate action.
Internationally, the principles of LLA such as devolving decisions to the lowest appropriate level and prioritizing vulnerable groups have gained broad endorsement. LLA entails ensuring that climate finance reaches local hands: Currently, less than 6% of global adaptation funding flows to community-level projects, a fraction that must rise. It also means valuing local knowledge and innovation for resilience. From indigenous water management techniques to women-led early warning systems, homegrown solutions are often more effective and trusted than top-down directives.
Shifting to LLA will require strengthening local institutions. Many union parishads and city councils lack the resources or autonomy to carry out adaptation plans, so empowering them is essential.
Equally vital is inclusive governance: When women, youth, and other at-risk groups have a seat at the table, adaptation initiatives become more equitable and effective. Climate resilience projects are far likelier to succeed when local people have ownership of the process and buy-in to the outcomes.
A call to action
To secure a sustainable future, Bangladesh must put climate change at the centre of its politics and policy-making. This is not just an environmental issue but a development and human security issue. We urge the following actions:
Mainstream climate in development: Integrate climate adaptation into all national development plans and sectoral policies. No major project or policy should proceed without assessing climate risks and resilience.
Boost and decentralize climate finance: Significantly increase funding for adaptation, and channel much more of it directly to local levels. Bangladesh will need around $12 billion per year for climate action, to be met through domestic and international financing. All climate funds should be managed transparently and made accessible at the grassroots, ensuring no misappropriation of money meant for resilience.
Empower local leadership and voices: Devolve decision-making power and resources to local governments and community organizations. Give union parishads and municipalities the authority and budgets to implement adaptation projects, and involve local people -- especially those most at risk in planning and decision-making. Adaptation efforts work best when they are informed by local needs and when communities have ownership of solutions.
International partners must support this shift. Wealthy nations and donors should direct more climate finance to locally-led efforts, aligning aid with Bangladesh’s community-level priorities instead of imposing one-size-fits-all projects. Top-down approaches will not protect vulnerable communities -- they must be in charge of fighting the impacts they face.
Ultimately, the climate crisis can no longer be treated as a sidebar in our national discourse. It demands leadership willing to look beyond short-term politics and act in the long-term public interest.
By moving climate from the margins to the mainstream and empowering local solutions, Bangladesh can safeguard its people and prosperity -- and provide a model for others. The communities bearing the brunt of climate change must no longer be voiceless, but be placed at the heart of shaping a resilient future for our nation.
Malik Al Hasan Shuvo is a Research Associate, Locally Led Adaptation(LLA) team at International Centre of Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).
