ALM UNDP

Bangladesh is one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world and will become even more so as a result of climate change. Floods, tropical cyclones, storm surges and droughts are likely to become more frequent and severe in the coming years. These changes will threaten the significant achievements Bangladesh has made over the last 20 years in increasing incomes and reducing poverty, and will make it more difficult to achieve the MDGs. It is essential that Bangladesh prepares now to adapt to climate change and safeguard the future well-being of her people.

Over the last 35 years, the Government of Bangladesh, with the support of development partners, has invested over $10 billion to make the country less vulnerable to natural disasters. These investments include flood management schemes, coastal polders, cyclone and flood shelters, and the raising of roads and highways above flood level. In addition, the Government of Bangladesh has developed state-of-the-art warning systems for floods, cyclones and storm surges, and is expanding community-based disaster preparedness. Climate resilient varieties of rice and other crops have also been developed. The challenge Bangladesh now faces is to scale up these investments to create a suitable environment for the economic and social development of the country and to secure the well-being of our people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable groups, including women and children.

The Government of Bangladesh's Vision is to eradicate poverty and achieve economic and social well-being for all the people. This will be achieved through a pro-poor Climate Change Strategy which prioritises adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and also addresses low carbon development, mitigation, technology transfer and the provision of adequate finance. Sections I to V of the document provide the context, outline the implications and likely impacts of climate change in Bangladesh, provide an overview of different adaptation strategies and briefly outline mitigation issues. Sections VI to VII describe a ten-year programme to build the capacity and resilience of the country to meet the challenge of climate change over the next 20-25 years.

The Climate Change Action Plan is built on six pillars:

Food security, social protection and health to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable in society, including women and children, are protected from climate change and that all programmes focus on the needs of this group for food security, safe housing, employment and access to basic services, including health.

Comprehensive disaster management to further strengthen the country's already proven disaster management systems to deal with increasingly frequent and severe natural calamities.

Infrastructure to ensure that existing assets (e.g., coastal and river embankments) are well-maintained and fit-for-purpose and that urgently needed infrastructure (e.g. cyclone shelters and urban drainage) is put in place to deal with the likely impacts of climate change.

Research and knowledge management to predict the likely scale and timing of climate change impacts on different sectors of the economy and socioeconomic groups; to underpin future investment strategies; and to ensure that Bangladesh is networked into the latest global thinking on climate change.

Mitigation and low carbon development to evolve low carbon development options and implement these as the country's economy grows over the coming decades.

Capacity building and institutional strengthening to enhance the capacity of government ministries and agencies, civil society and the private sector to meet the challenge of climate change.

The needs of the poor and vulnerable, including women and children, will be prioritised in all activities implemented under the Action Plan. The Climate Change Action Plan comprises immediate, short, medium and long-term programmes. The Climate Change Action Plan will be implemented under the overall guidance of the National Environment Committee, chaired by the Chief Adviser. It will be coordinated by concerned Ministry of Environment and Forests. Programmes funded under the Plan will be implemented by Ministries or their agencies, with the involvement, as appropriate, of civil society and the private sector. The Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan has been developed by the Government of Bangladesh in consultation with civil society, including NGOs, research organisations and the private sector.

It builds on the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), published in 2005. It will be reviewed and revised as experience and knowledge are gained in implementing adaptation and related research programmes.