The Impact of Climate Change

on Children in Bangladesh
Bangladesh, home to
approximately 160 million Bangladesh Climate Change
people, is one
of the most vulnerable Vulnerability Profile
countries in the world to
climate change impacts.i
25%
of the population
lives in coastal
areas vulnerable
to cyclones. iii
50,000-200,000
people are displaced each
LIMITED ADAPTIVE
60% year due to river erosion. iv

CAPACITY
of the country EXPOSURE
is prone to
flooding.ii
31.5 percent of SENSITIVITY
the population
lives below the
national upper
poverty line
(2,122kcal). viii
Every five years
there are major
Underperformance country-wide
in education, droughts.v
nutritional status,
health, access
to safe water and
improved sanitation,
inclusiveness, equality,
and safety and security
all have a negative
impact on individuals’ Climate-sensitive livelihoods Poor quality
and communities’

70%
(e.g., housing and
capacity to adapt. crop farming, livestock infrastructure (e.g.,
production, and fishing). mud houses, urban slums).
of Dhaka’s
Limited slum-
institutional dwellers are
and financial environmental
capacity to plan
for, and respond
to, climate change
migrants. vii
4.7M
people were
risks and impacts.
The southwestern coastal belt has long suffered from displaced due to
saline intrusion and waterlogging, which is now disasters between
exacerbated by sea level rise. 2008 and 2014. vi

01 eBook: The Impact of Climate Change on Children in Bangladesh

Community Perceptions of Hazards,
Environmental Changes, and Their
Impacts in Southern Bangladesh
Khulna, Satkhira and Bhola are three districts
located in southwestern Bangladesh, where
climate change is affecting the severity,
frequency, and distribution of

SAT
Highest rated hazards
climate-related hazards, including

BHO
KHULN
immediate disaster impacts as well as slower Preparedness strategies

KHI

LA
chronic crises. Coping strategies

RA
A
Khulna and Satkhira Districts Bhola District

Disasters, Water Flooding River Land Cyclones

especially salinity Erosion loss
cyclones

Store dry Construct Use concrete Save Stay Go to Preparedness measures

foods houses pillars for money informed shelter when are known, but not
on raised home warning is implemented
land construction issued

Peer Loans Government Sell assets Migration Child Sell assets (e.g., Migration Child
support and NGOs (e.g., animals, labour animals, land) labour
relief land)

eBook: The Impact of Climate Change on Children in Bangladesh

02
 Major Implications for Children by Impact on
community

Age Group (life cycle approach)

Schools
Crop used as
failure shelters School
Limited buildings Implications
income to destroyed and for children
buy food damaged

Inadequate
type and Roads
nutritional content damaged
of available Girl
food sa
Decreased nd
) bo
old school ys
ars of
Health services e attendance
Stagnant
5y

pr
disrupted or
(0-

im
Increased water
ren

ary
difficult to access
school dropout
hild

sch
gc

ool
Drowning
oun

age
Increased
Infants and y

Increased Injuries

(6-10
diarrhoea, undernutrition Loss of
skin and Begging homes

years old)
Greater risk of
other morbidity/death Orphanhood
diseases

Destruction and Increased

contamination Inadequate Child Child migration to
of safe water sanitation* labour marriage urban areas
Trafficking
sources
Sexual Rape
exploitation

* including menstrual
hygiene management
Ado
lescen old)
ts (11-18 years

Loss of
livelihoods

Latrines destroyed Fetching water over

in cyclones long distances

03 eBook: The Impact of Climate Change on Children in Bangladesh

Key Considerations Development achievements
cannot be taken for granted

to Advance Children’s Climate change threatens to slow, halt or reverse

sustainable development progress.

Rights in Bangladesh Who is vulnerable and what

in a Changing Climate success looks like have changed
Peoples’ needs and vulnerabilities have evolved, thus
tried and tested approaches may no longer work or
be the most appropriate.

Increasing need to ensure continuity of

service delivery during and after disasters
Child-centered disaster risk reduction and
climate sensitive planning must be the norm,
rather than ‘response’ strategies.

Public and private investments must

be disaster and climate sensitive
Investments must be suitable and sustainable to ensure
resilience of resources and infrastructure to climate and
non-climate related disasters.

Policies and initiatives for climate

change adaptation and disaster risk
reduction must be inclusive
Voices, perspectives, and needs of children and
adolescents should be brought into processes to
develop policies and initiatives.

eBook: The Impact of Climate Change on Children in Bangladesh

04
Climate Change Agenda for
UNICEF in Bangladesh
Health
Advocate for development of climate
resilient plans at the national and
sub-national levels that are part of
existing health response systems.
Conduct research on current climate
related health impacts and trends;
and develop a monitoring system to
feed into government planning
cycles.
Pilot projects to electrify health clinics
using sustainable energy solutions.
Influence policies and practices
to ensure continuity of health
services for children and pregnant
mothers during seasonal and other
disruptions and chronic crises.
05
Nutrition Education
Advocate for incorporation of Advocate for incorporation of
nutritional requirements that climate change and
meet the needs of the most disaster risk reduction in
vulnerable groups, into the school curriculums and
adaptation plans of the teaching learning
agricultural and social packages.
welfare sectors - especially
for girls and women. Pilot projects, conduct
research, and influence policy
Develop ‘crisis modifier’ development aimed at
nutrition programming minimizing disruption and
for use in chronic crises or ensuring the continuity of
pre-crisis (i.e. deteriorating) education for all children
situations. during disasters.
Conduct research on climate
change and food insecurity
trends and hotspots, and
develop an early warning
system for timely action
in the near-term.
eBook: The Impact of Climate Change on Children in Bangladesh
Climate Change Agenda for
UNICEF in Bangladesh

WASH Child Protection

Advocate for incorporation of climate change Advocate for development of
adaptation into existing WASH policies and child-centred social protection
standards. measures as part of climate
change adaptation strategies.
Pilot projects, conduct research and influence policy
development on solar and other renewable energy Pilot projects specifically
sources for operation of water facilities, as well as on aimed at the prevention of child
infrastructure designs labour, sexual exploitation and
(e.g., latrines and low cost water facilities) child marriage during and
resilient to flood, tidal surges and cyclones. following disasters.

I Increase programmatic focus and discussions Increase programming focus

on addressing environmental degradation as on child protection in urban areas
II
it relates to open defecation, pollution of and work with others to monitor
III water sources, air pollution, medical migration due to climate change
IV waste, and urban waste. impacts.

V
VI

VII
VIII
eBook: The Impact of Climate Change on Children in Bangladesh
06
UNICEF Bangladesh
BSL Office Complex
1 Minto Road, Dhaka-1000,
Bangladesh

Telephone: (880-2) 55668088

Email: dhaka@unicef.org
www.unicef.org.bd

© United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

November 2016
This e-book has been prepared based on the study “Learning to Live in a Changing Climate:
The Impact of Climate Change on Children in Bangladesh,” UNICEF Bangladesh, May 2016

I Vulnerability to climate change is a product of sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity.

II Figure cited by UNICEF Bangladesh at: http://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/4926_4993.htm
III Ibid.
IV Martin, M., Y. Kang, M. Billah, T. Siddiqui, R. Black and D. Kniveton (2013) Policy analysis: Climate change and migration Bangladesh, Working
paper 4: An output of research on climate change related migration in Bangladesh, conducted by Refugee and Migratory Movements Research
Unit (RMMRU), University of Dhaka, and Sussex Centre for Migration Research (SCMR), University of Sussex, with support from Climate &
Development Knowledge Network (CDKN).
V FAO (2007) Climate variability and change: adaptation to drought in Bangladesh. A resource book and training guide.
VI Figure cited by Displacement Solutions at:
http://displacementsolutions.org/ds-initiatives/climate-change-and-displacement-initiative/bangladesh-climate-displacement/
VII IOM estimate, cited in: http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/dec/01/dhaka-city-climate-refugees-reality
VIII Millennium Development Goals: Bangladesh Progress Report 2015. General Economics Division (GED),
Planning Commission Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh