Environment and Climate Change
Key Challenges in Environment and Climate Change
Underprepared disaster risk management system
High vulnerability to climate-induced disasters like floods and earthquakes, with limited preparedness to mitigate damages and losses. Bangladesh ranks 7th among the countries most affected by climate change between 2000 and 2022 (Global Climate Risk Index 2023), and is vulnerable to floods - monsoon flood in May 2024 affected 18 million people while flash floods in the eastern regions in August 2024 affected 5.8 million people. Bangladesh is unprepared to mitigate damages by big earthquakes - an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale would destroy 72,000 buildings and result in up to $6 billion in building-related damages overall.
Lack of access to safe drinking water
Only 59.11% of Bangladesh’s population can access safely managed water (Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), 2022) Water contamination is a pressing issue - 80% of piped water in Bangladesh contains harmful bacteria; 86% of the poorest households are affected by E. coli contamination while 16.7% face arsenic-tainted water. Increasing salinization is leading to freshwater deficits in coastal regions - The water in the Koyra, Dakop, and Paikgasa upazilas in Khulna, as well as the Assasuni and Shyamnagar upazilas in Satkhira have salt levels of 1,427 to 2,406 milligrams per liter, which is considered unfit for consumption (UNDP, 2021)
High levels of air pollution
Vehicular emissions contribute significantly to worsening air quality in Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka - around 10.4% of particulate matter is linked to diesel-powered vehicles (CPD) Use of outdated methods and technologies in brick kilns add considerably to the country’s air quality issues through the release of gases high in particulate matter. Absence of specific guidelines for large construction projects across Bangladesh contributes to increased emissions of PM2.5 and PM10, worsening dust pollution in urban areas.
Increasing plastic consumption and pollution
Only 5% of the nearly 600,000 tons of annual plastic waste makes it to formal landfill sites, due to mismanagement.
Waterlogging in urban areas
78% of Dhaka lacks proper storm drainage which exacerbates flooding issues. Poor coordination among agencies, including Dhaka City Corporations and Dhaka WASA, and lack of trained personnel, equipment, and critical infrastructure intensify the waterlogging crisis.
Rising heat in urban regions
Rapid urbanization, minimal vegetation, and usage of heat-retaining urban materials increase heat stress in cities like Dhaka. Only 2% of Dhaka city's area is covered by healthy vegetation, much lower than the recommended 25%, hampering the city’s natural cooling.
Lack of accountability in climate fund management
50% of the Tk 681.8 million allocated for seven climate mitigation projects, amounting to Tk 370.7 million, was unaccounted for (TIB, 2020). Project selection and implementation lack evidence-based decision-making: Between 2019-2023, Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund allocated BDT 410 million across 23 projects for drainage construction while spending BDT 3.38 billion in 322 projects on less urgent street lamp installations.
Reform matrix
Policy Objectives
Recommended Activities for Policymakers
Outcomes
Potential Impact
Key Stakeholders
Recommended Activities for Policymakers
Promote reforestation and afforestation to reduce soil erosion, landslides and flood risk
Assess local vulnerabilities and risks to develop targeted prevention and mitigation plans
Strengthen coordination between the local and central governmental institutions
Build resilient infrastructure and enforce disaster resistant building coding
Enhance the early warning systems with real-time monitoring
Incorporate disaster risk reduction strategies into national and local development planning processes
Outcomes
Improved early warning systems
Reduced vulnerability (risk) to disaster
Reduced damage from disasters
More disaster resilient infrastructure
Improved enhanced community preparedness
Reduced response time for disaster relief
Increased public awareness
Potential Impact
Better resilience against disasters
Key Stakeholders
MoDMR,
DOE,
MOEF;
Educational institutions,NGOs
Recommended Activities for Policymakers
Implement desalination plants and promote rainwater harvesting in areas affected by saline intrusion
Improve water distribution systems in urban and rural areas, focusing on arsenic and iron contamination in groundwater
Strengthen laws around industrial waste disposal and agricultural run-off to prevent water source contamination.
Ensure routine water quality monitoring, especially in disaster prone areas
Outcomes
Increased access to safe drinkable water
Reduced contamination in water
Reduced waterborne diseases due to arsenic or microbial contamination
Decreased salinity in drinking water in coastal areas
Improved water quality in disaster prone areas
Potential Impact
Better health and socio-economic well-being through access to safe water
Key Stakeholders
DoE,BWDB,
WASA,
Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), Community
Based
Organizations
(CBOs),DPH
Recommended Activities for Policymakers
Implement strict emissions standards for brick kilns to encourage the adoption of updated technologies
Enforce stricter air quality standards for industries and vehicles to limit harmful emissions.
Introduce incentives and campaigns to encourage the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and biomass to reduce reliance on fossil fuels
Improve and expand public transportation systems to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, decreasing traffic congestion and emissions
Outcomes
Improved air quality index
Reduction in respiratory and other pollution-related health issues
Increased public use of clean transportation options
Potential Impact
Better air quality and decreased health risk due to air pollution
Key Stakeholders
Department of Environment (DoE),City Corporations and local government institutions,
DPH ,Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC),
BRTA
Recommended Activities for Policymakers
Establish and enforce regulations to limit the production and use of single-use plastics
Implement campaigns to encourage the development and adoption of biodegradable alternatives for conventional plastics
Expand recycling and upcycling initiatives to minimize plastic waste and promote reuse
Campaign to educate consumers about the environmental harms of plastic production and consumption, and promote sustainable practices
Provide financial incentives or grants to businesses that adopt sustainable packaging solutions or reduce plastic use in their operations
Outcomes
Decreased usage of plastic and plastic products
Decreased production of plastic products
Increased adoption of alternative materials
Increased public awareness and engagement in reducing plastic consumption
Reduction in volume of plastic waste
Increased rate of recycled and upcycled plastic
Potential Impact
- Cleaner and more sustainable environment
Key Stakeholders
DoE, MOL,
MoEFCC,
BSTI, private sectors,
Ministry of Commerce,
consumers
Recommended Activities for Policymakers
Increase tree cover and green spaces in urban areas through parks, community gardens, and green roofs to lower surface temperatures.
Integrate heat management strategies into urban planning and development regulations to reduce heat stress
Identify vulnerable areas and populations at risk from heat exposure to inform targeted interventions
Launch awareness campaigns to educate communities about the urban heat island effect and promote individual actions to mitigate its impacts
Outcomes
Reduced urban temperatures and urban heat island (UHI) effect
Increased public green spaces
Increase in community engagement in greening efforts
Reduction in heat-related illnesses
Increased number of heat resilient structures
Potential Impact
Improved quality of life and public health by lowering extreme heat-related illnesses
Key Stakeholders
DoE,MoEFCC
DPH,NGOs,
Research institutions,city corporations
Recommended Activities for Policymakers
Evaluate existing drainage systems to identify areas of inadequacy, blockages, and areas prone to flooding
Create and implement plans incorporating both natural and engineered solutions to meet drainage needs
– Establish regular maintenance schedules for drainage systems to ensure they are free of debris and functioning efficiently.Engage local communities in the planning and maintenance of drainage systems to enhance ownership and responsiveness to local needs
Design drainage systems that can adapt to changing rainfall patterns and climate-related impacts
Outcomes
Reduced flooding and waterlogging in urban and rural areas
Increased effectiveness of floodwater management systems
Increased community participation in drainage management
Reduced commuting difficulties due to waterlogging
Potential Impact
More livable and sustainable urban environment
Key Stakeholders
DoE,BWDB,
WASA,
Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), Community
Based
Organizations
(CBOs),DPH
Recommended Activities for Policymakers
Enforce stricter environmental laws with transparent procedures for issuing permits and conducting environmental impact assessments
Digitize environmental permits and monitoring to reduce manual intervention and opportunities for corruption
Publish environmental reports, including EIAs, emissions data, and deforestation rates, to increase public transparency and accountability
Strengthen oversight of natural resources to prevent exploitation
Integrate community-level participation in design, approval, implementation and maintenance of climate mitigation and adaptation projects to ensure accountability
Outcomes
Increased transparency in environmental project approvals
Increased transparency in resource allocation and management
Improved utilization of climate funds
Improved effectiveness of climate projects
Reduction in corruption in the environmental sector
Increased public confidence in climate governance
Potential Impact
More effective climate change management
Enhanced trust in governance and governing systems
Key Stakeholders
DoE,
MoEFCC,
ACC,
Media
Policy Area scorecard
Priority Sector
Policy Objective
Activity
key Stakeholder
Baseline
End Target
Term (years)
Year 1 target
Year 2 target
Year 3 target
Score
Recommendation
Policy Area (e.g. Education, Environment, healthcare, Law and Governance, Economy, etc.)
The reform goal of the policy
Activities undertaken to achieve the reform goal
Stakeholders mainly responsible for implementation reform activities
Current status of the indicator
Desired status of the indicator
Time frame to achieve the goal (e.g. 3 years, 5 years, etc.)
Progress target in year 1 (FY2025/26)
Progress target in year 2 (FY2026/27)
Progress target in year 3 (FY2027/28)
Performance score in each year Year 1: Year 2: Year 3:
Recommendations for improvements or corrective actions Year 1: Year 2: Year 3:
Policy Area scorecard
Priority Sector
Policy Area (e.g. Education, Environment, healthcare, Law and Governance, Economy, etc.)
Policy Objective
The reform goal of the policy
Activity
Activities undertaken to achieve the reform goal
key Stakeholder
Stakeholders mainly responsible for implementation reform activities
Current status of the indicator
End Target
Desired status of the indicator
Term (years)
Time frame to achieve the goal (e.g. 3 years, 5 years, etc.)
Year 1 target
Progress target in year 1 (FY2025/26)
Year 2 target
Progress target in year 2 (FY2026/27)
Year 3 target
Progress target in year 3 (FY2027/28)
Score
Performance score in each year Year 1: Year 2: Year 3:
Recommendation
Recommendations for improvements or corrective actions Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: