12 September 2008
Climate change is today’s reality, not tomorrow’s risk.
On Wednesday 10 September a high-level conference was held in London to address the impacts of climate change on people in Bangladesh.
Hosted by International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander and the Government of Bangladesh’s Finance Adviser Dr. Mirza Azizul Islam, the event saw the UK Government announce £75 million to help Bangladesh fund its response to climate change.
Speakers on the day included Raja Devasish Roy, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh and former chief economic adviser to the UK Government, leading climate change analyst Lord Nicholas Stern and Isabel Guerrero, the World Bank's Vice President for the South Asia Region. Read Douglas Alexander's keynote speech from the conference and watch a video about the scale of the climate change threat.
Thousands of people in Bangladesh are living with the reality of climate change.
In the stories below, we show how DFID is already helping people affected by impacts such as rising sea-levels, increased salinity, waterlogged land and unpredictable weather patterns. The stories testify to the resourcefulness, resilience, adaptability and indefatigability of ordinary Bangladeshis as they come to terms with, and work to overcome, the challenges presented by the changing global climate.
Everyone in Bangladesh has noticed that the climate is changing. Many people say there used to be six seasons, but now there are only four. There can be no doubt that the weather is much more unpredictable, but finding an explanation as to why these changes are happening is much harder ... Read more in "Sharbani spreads awareness".
Crab curry is a popular dish in Bangladesh. And as more and more land becomes flooded by the rising sea-levels, crab cultivation is on the increase, ensuring that a steady supply of the crustaceans is provided to markets all over the country ... Read more in "Crabs help families claw out of poverty" and watch our video.
During the Monsoon season in Bangladesh, it rains all day, every day. The Monsoons bring with them any number of problems, including waterlogged land, swollen rivers and endless mud. But there is a silver lining, courtesy of a simple rain harvesting system ... Read more in "Drinking up the Monsoons".
Salam Sarder is a dynamic entrepreneur with a vision. He has shown how it is possible to adapt to the waterlogging that has afflicted the land outside his village ... Read more in "Opportunities spring from water".
As the hot sun blazes down, friends Nesarun and Rashida fish for shrimps and white fish in the pools of water just outside the village of Katakhali, in Kesobpur. Dragging their triangular nets across the surface of the water, anticipation fills the air as they peer into the depths to spy their catches ... Read more in "From paddy fields to fisheries".
The sound of a quacking duck rings out across the yard. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was made by one of the many ducks swimming in the nearby pond, but in fact the sound comes from the small woman standing by the edge of the water ... Read more in "The duck lady of Katakhali" and watch our video.
Abul Hussain has been headmaster of the primary school in Munshiganj, Satkhira, for 12 years. Four years ago, the Government built a cyclone shelter in the village and Abul was put in charge of it. In cyclone-free times, the building is used as a school, attended by around 200 pupils ... Read more in "A school provides shelter".
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