ABSTRACT
Bangladesh is often cited as one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world due to its geophysical location, exposure to extreme conditions caused by climatic stimuli, and high population growth rate (Huq and Ayers 2007; Parry et al. 2007; GoB 2009a, 2009b). Additionally, although the GDP of the country is consistently showing progress, one third of the population lives below the poverty line (MOF 2013). High population density and dependency on agriculture and natural-environment based livelihoods have further increased vulnerabilities over the years due to hazards and uncertain climatic variability. The combinations of these stresses make Bangladesh one of the most affected least developed countries (LDCs) when it comes to climate change-related issues. According to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF 2012), increased frequency and intensity of climate-induced natural disasters account for losses worth 1.5% of the country’s GDP. A study conducted by the Planning Commission of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) highlights that changes in crop production due to climate change increase the number of poor people and are equal to the rate of total crop damage caused by any major disaster (GoB 2009c). Dasgupta et al. (2011) estimate that it could cost US$2671 million by 2050 to protect the major towns of Bangladesh from climate-induced monsoon flooding (Dasgupta et al. 2011). Further research reveals that on average, 57% of annual development investment is now at risk of being adversely affected by climate change and an additional 10-30% of funding is required to ensure the current level of benefits from development projects (Haque 2009).
