Bangladesh: Where climate change is displacing people

April 22nd is World Earth Day - an incredibly important day that has been organized by earthday.org for 33 years to unite people in the fight against the climate crisis and to raise awareness of the devastating effects of climate change. The current IPCC Climate Change Report shows that this is more important than ever. We at share also want to use this day to draw attention to the catastrophic consequences of climate change and therefore dedicate ourselves to Bangladesh - a country that is already battling these consequences on a daily basis. Floods, flash floods, cyclones and heat are putting a strain on the environment and its population. Together with Welthungerhilfe, we are therefore supporting families with urgently needed hygiene packages with your help. Expert Fatima Azizova, who is Head of Mission in the Bangladesh Country Office for Welthungerhilfe, tells us what the situation is like on the ground and who it is most threatening for, how the country is protecting itself against the effects of climate change and why hygiene plays such a central role in this region in particular.

On the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh

While we are still discussing the possible effects of climate change here, people in Bangladesh have long been feeling the consequences with floods, flash floods and cyclones. Can you describe the situation and the specific threats on the ground?

According to a March 2018 World Bank report, climate change is expected to have a significant impact on Bangladesh. It is estimated that up to 18 million people could be forced to relocate by 2050 due to rising sea levels alone. The report also predicted that climate change could displace a total of 13.3 million people from Bangladesh by 2050. In addition, the Internal Displacement Observatory (IDMC) reports that an average of nearly 700,000 Bangladeshis per year have been displaced due to natural disasters over the past decade. Climate change is causing disruptions in rainfall patterns in Bangladesh, leading to droughts in some areas and floods in others. Glacier runoff in the Himalayan mountains is also increasing, leading to silting of rivers. An area larger than Manhattan is lost to erosion every year. In addition, rising sea levels are causing salt water to penetrate coastal agricultural areas and large areas are expected to be permanently flooded.

However, the impact and extent of climate change varies in different parts of Bangladesh. In the coastal and marine regions, climate change causes different types of damage, forcing people to migrate internally. In the north, heat waves have a significant impact on the population. Droughts are frequent, and there is little work between September and December due to weather conditions. The landless population in these areas often suffers from poverty and hunger. This leads to boys and men migrating to cities and better-off villages in search of work.

Bangladesh is also vulnerable to cyclones, which can cause significant damage to coastal areas and destroy critical infrastructure. In 2020, Cyclone Amphan hit Bangladesh, causing significant damage to buildings, roads and power lines, as well as widespread flooding that displaced over 2 million people from their homes. In recent years, Bangladesh has taken measures to adapt to climate change, including building dams and cyclone shelters, developing early warning systems, and promoting climate-resilient agriculture. However, much remains to be done to ensure the country is fully prepared for the ongoing and worsening impacts of climate change.

Which population group is particularly at risk in Bangladesh and why?

Women and girls are among the most vulnerable populations in Bangladesh, often with limited access to basic health care. Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers face challenges due to a lack of comprehensive antenatal and postnatal care in community clinics. In addition, women and girls in camps for Myanmar refugees live under makeshift tarpaulins or thin plastic sheets without doors, leaving them with no safe shelter from violence. Conditions make sleeping difficult, and mothers worry about their daughters' safety. During times of crisis, girls are often forced to withdraw from school or skip classes because they are overwhelmed with household chores and there are fewer family members available to help at home. Girls often help with family care and domestic tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and fetching water, while education is viewed as less important. Men and boys migrate to other villages and towns to find work during times of crisis, leaving women and girls vulnerable.

What it takes to be resilient in times of crisis

How is the country dealing with this situation and what is being done to protect against the effects of climate change?

Environmental factors and economic factors are often interrelated, especially in rural areas. The impacts of climate change lead to rural-urban migration as a coping mechanism. Therefore, the following adaptation and mitigation strategies are being implemented to improve the situation in the country in the long term.

• Capacity building for relevant government departments/organizations

• Introduction of knowledge, technologies, techniques and practices for climate adaptation

• Improving data and knowledge management

• Improving governance and cooperation at national, regional and local levels.

• Raising awareness among politicians and the public about the complex relationships between migration, the environment and climate change.

• Ensuring financing mechanisms to address climate-related migration.

• Improving short-term and long-term transport accommodation and services

• Water supply, health care and child education for migrants who travel to cities to work

• Political lobbying with governments, development partners, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders

• Promote humanitarian action with adequate resources to address the challenges of climate change.

You distribute hygiene packages to local families. What do these packages consist of and why are they so important here?

The latest project supported by share aims to distribute a total of 5,000 hygiene kits to girls and women in coastal areas. The aim is to ensure safe menstrual hygiene, especially during disaster-prone months when the target population has little or no access to sanitary products.

The kits were developed according to the WASH cluster guidelines and contain the following:

• 10 pieces of bath soap (100 g each),

• 5 pieces of laundry soap (500 g each),

• 5 packs of sanitary towels,

• a 20-litre bucket with lid for washing hands,

• a cup,

• and a two-page IEC document printed in color on both sides. The document contains important information on safe WASH practices and menstrual hygiene, as well as on preventing child marriage.

The hygiene kit was endorsed by the UN-WASH cluster and is designed to provide a family of 4 to 5 members with hygiene for at least four months. Some items, such as the bucket and cup, will serve the family for a longer period of time and help with disaster preparedness. In addition, previous projects supported by share have provided dental supplies, face masks, hygiene items and other relief items to refugees and host communities affected by the crisis. Raising awareness alone is often not enough to encourage consistent hygiene practices, as people also need access to necessary hygiene items.

In addition to hygiene products, you also offer hygiene training. How does this training work and what results do you achieve?

To promote sustainable and improved hygiene practices, knowledge transfer is a key component. The project achieves this by sharing best practices in community hygiene training and related activities. Workshops are conducted with the aim of creating long-term social behavior change and breaking and destigmatizing taboo topics. Hygiene kits are distributed to protect girls and women, especially in times of crisis. Teaching materials are developed that address menstrual hygiene, personal hygiene, safe water use, handwashing at critical times, food storage and preparation, elimination of open defecation and COVID-19. In addition to hygiene-related topics, information is provided on family planning, gender equality, negative beliefs, taboos and caring for mothers and babies. These trainings bring about positive changes in people's beliefs and their daily hygiene practices. Over time, the knowledge acquired helps entire communities become more resilient during times of crisis.