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BANGLADESH, a land of more than 160 million people, has long stood exposed to the brutal edge of climate change. For decades, rising temperatures, recurrent floods and intensifying cyclones have remained a grim part of the national reality. This year alone, heatwaves are estimated to have cost the economy nearly 1.8 billion dollars, a figure that speaks not merely of economic loss, but of a population labouring under exhaustion in fields, factories and hospitals. Agriculture, health services and manual labour have all slowed under the sheer burden of heat stress, holding the nation back within a familiar trap of vulnerability and delayed development. Yet, concealed within this crisis lies a possibility: Bangladesh may choose to view climate change not solely as a looming catastrophe, but as a point of transformation. It can position itself not as a passive victim of environmental collapse, but as a pioneer in climate adaptation, clean technology and sustainable economic planning.

The impact of rising temperature is not abstract, it is already stripping productivity from the sectors most essential to the economy. Agriculture, which contributes more than 13 per cent to GDP, is particularly under threat. Rice and jute yields are falling as heatwaves weaken crops and repeated flooding increases soil salinity, making vast areas less fertile. The Department of Agricultural Extension has introduced flood-tolerant rice varieties, yet progress is slow compared with the pace of environmental change. Healthcare, already strained by limited funding and infrastructure, is bearing new pressures. More citizens are arriving at hospitals with dehydration, heat stroke and respiratory illnesses triggered by extreme temperatures. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has attempted public awareness campaigns and installed cooling facilities in critical areas, but implementation remains uneven, particularly outside major cities. Labour, too, is suffering. Construction workers, factory employees and farm labourers are losing 10–25 per cent of their productivity during extreme heat, according to recent studies. This erosion of output affects industrial growth and reduces household earnings across both rural and urban economies.

Bangladesh does possess legal and policy frameworks intended to address environmental threats, but they do not yet meet the scale of present danger. The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act of 1995 primarily covers pollution control and lacks specific provisions for climate adaptation. The 2009 Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan marked a step towards coordinated response, yet its emphasis remains largely on mitigation rather than large-scale adaptation of vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, urban infrastructure and water management. Enforcement is also fragile. The Department of Environment has authority under Section 5 of Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act to restrict polluting activities, yet limited resources and local-level weaknesses mean many directives remain unenforced. Without a comprehensive Climate Change Act binding ministries, local governments and the private sector to time-bound responsibilities, climate policies risk becoming aspirational documents rather than actionable commitments.

Still, Bangladesh holds a strategic advantage: it can lead the region in affordable, scalable climate solutions. Solar energy offers a credible example. More than four million solar home systems now operate in rural areas, bringing power to communities long disconnected from the national grid. With greater investment and grid integration, solar capacity could meet rising energy demand without deepening fossil fuel dependence. The Solar Irrigation Programme also shows promise, reducing diesel use while enabling farmers to irrigate more reliably. Public transport is slowly shifting towards electric alternatives, with the government supporting electric buses and three-wheelers in major cities. By expanding infrastructure — charging stations, manufacturing facilities and maintenance services — Bangladesh could reduce urban pollution, cut fuel imports and create new employment in the green industry.

Adaptation in agriculture must deepen beyond reactive measures. Climate-smart agricultural practices, such as drought-resistant crops, efficient irrigation and crop diversification — can safeguard harvests while restoring degraded soil. Technologies like vertical farming and aquaponics may seem ambitious, yet they offer real potential as arable land shrinks and urban populations grow. Urban planning must also evolve. Dhaka and other major cities require flood-resilient drainage systems, rainwater harvesting, urban forests and heat-mitigating measures like green roofs. International examples, such as China’s ‘sponge cities’ or Vietnam’s green urban strategies show how infrastructure can be designed to work with natural systems, rather than in defiance of them.

What Bangladesh needs now is not another fragmented policy, but a coherent, enforceable legislative framework. A national Climate Change Act should define clear responsibilities for government agencies and private entities alike, binding them to long-term adaptation and mitigation efforts. Local governments must be equipped, financially and institutionally, to enforce climate-related decisions, rather than merely receive policy circulars from Dhaka. Financial incentives will be crucial. Tax reductions for industries that adopt renewable energy, build climate-friendly infrastructure or invest in sustainable agriculture can shift market behaviour faster than regulation alone. Public–private partnerships, particularly in renewable energy and green manufacturing, must be expanded to mobilise financing, technology and expertise.

Green entrepreneurship should not remain confined to isolated pilot projects. Enterprises producing solar panels, electric vehicles, eco-friendly building materials or climate-resilient crops should receive subsidies, innovation grants and easier access to credit. Simultaneously, Bangladesh must seek larger shares of international climate finance, green bonds and adaptation funds to support vulnerable communities — coastal households, smallholder farmers, urban poor — with better homes, infrastructure, training and early-warning systems. Climate justice demands that those who contribute least to global emissions do not continue to bear the highest cost without support.

In summary, Bangladesh is standing at a threshold. The climate crisis is closing in, but it also offers the chance to recalibrate the nation’s development path. Green technology, resilient agriculture and adaptive cities are not luxuries; they are economic strategies that can generate employment, reduce dependency and strengthen sovereignty. To move from survival to leadership, Bangladesh must legislate robustly, enforce rigorously and invest strategically. If these steps are taken with urgency and foresight, the country may not only endure the rising heat, it may turn it into the very force that reshapes its future.

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Samanta Azrin Prapty holds an LLM from North South University. She also holds a diploma in early childhood development from the Skill Development Council, Canada.