Adaptation to Climate Change and Sustainable Development: A Case study of Bangladesh

1
Adaptation to Climate Change and Sustainable
Development A Case study of Bangladesh

• Dr. Saleemul Huq
• Director
• Climate Change Programme
• International Institute for Environment and
  Development, London, United Kingdom

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Bangladesh Climate Change and Sustainable
Development Study

• Carried out in 2000 by Bangladeshi and
  international team
• Based on previous work done on assessing
  vulnerability of Bangladesh to climate change
  impacts
• Two climate change and sea level scenarios chosen
  for 2030 and 2050

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Objectives of the study

• What are the expected climate changes?
• What are the consequences for Bangladesh?
• For what climate change-induced impacts is
  Bangladesh most vulnerable?
• How can the potential effects of climate change
  be factored into policy making, and what
  adaptation measures for Bangladesh are most
  feasible?

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Sectors chosen

• Coastal resources
• Fresh Water resources
• Agriculture
• Human health
• Ecosystem and biodiversity

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Factors Increasing Bangladeshs Vulnerability to
Climate Change
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Factors Increasing Bangladeshs Vulnerability to
Climate Change
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Climate Change Scenarios
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Adaptation Measures to Mitigate Drainage
Congestion in Coastal Areas
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Adaptation Measures to Mitigate Salinization in
Coastal Areas
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Adaptation Measures to Improve Morphological
Dynamics in Coastal Areas
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Adaptation Measures for Disasters in Coastal
Areas
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Adaptation Measures to Mitigate Reduced
Freshwater Availability
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Adaptation Measures for Freshwater Drainage
Congestion
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Adaptation Measures to Morphological Dynamics for
Freshwater Resources
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Adaptation Measures to Increased Freshwater
Flooding
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Adaptation Measures in Agriculture
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Adaptation Measures in Human Health
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Adaptation Measures to Protect Ecosystems and
Biodiversity
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Main impacts of climate change

• Drainage congestions due to higher sea levels and
  and flooding
• Reduced fresh water availability
• Disturbances to morphological processes (mainly
  in coastal zone)
• Increased intensity of disasters (extreme events)

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Methodological Issues Addressed

• Choosing climate change and sea level rise
  scenarios
• Modelling impacts of chosen climate change
  scenarios on droughts, floods, cyclones
• Identifying possible adaptations
• Prioritising adaptation actions

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Process of study

• Analysis of climate change impacts using
  scenarios and models
• Identification of most vulnerable sectors
• Identification of possible adaptation actions and
  measures in each sector
• Stakeholderled prioritisation of adaptation
  actions in each sector
• Cross-sectoral linkages identified and discussed
  with stakeholders

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Key findings of the study

• Bangladesh faces grave socio-ecological risks if
  it fails to adapt to climate change
• Many of the risks are gradual and difficult to
  differentiate from background variability of
  climate
• Coastal areas of the country are specially at
  risk
• Adaptation to climate change is fundamentally
  linked to sustainable development efforts of the
  country

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Relevance to ongoing policies and programmes

• National Water Policy and Water Management Plan
• Coastal Zone Management Programme
• National Agriculture Development Plan
• National Biodiversity Action Plan
• Sustainable Environmental Management Programme

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Impact on Policy makers-1

• Sectoral level
• Water Resources
• Coastal Resources
• Biodiversity
• Agriculture
• Environment

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Impact on Policy makers-2

• National Level
• Planning
• Finance
• Foreign Affairs
• Prime Ministers office

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Impacts on Policy makers-3

• International
• COP 5, 6 and 7
• LDC group
• Adaptation issues
• COP 8 (Delhi)

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Lessons learned

• Technical capacity to do analysis of climate
  change impacts- Good
• Awareness amongst sectoral planners and policy
  makers-Reasonable
• Awareness amongst national policy makers-Low
• Strategy for international negotiations-None yet