OPS 50. Shortcut to the Frontline: Supporting Local NGOs on Climate Change in Bangladesh

The impetus for this report came from a common impulse among those who work on development in Bangladesh: ‘this country stands to be knee-deep in water in twenty years’ time. What can we do about it?’. Work on climate change in Bangladesh in gaining speed and urgency; yet there is no straightforward way to get an overview of the various climate change-related initiatives in the country. While the government and international institutions are working on macro-scale solutions to the problem, NGOs are already starting to adapt their work to the climate change discourse and information at their disposal. But who is doing what, and how can we best engage?

This research project aims to understand the role of local NGOs in climate change work: their current situation, outlook and future prospects. It is a snapshot of how different NGOs in south-western Bangladesh approach the issue: small and large ones; ones that are well connected internationally and those who are well-rooted in their ‘base’ communities; ones that deliver services to the srticken and those who fight for systematic changes. South-western Bangladesh is a region that is already under threat from climate change-resembling dangers such as cyclones and flooding, and much NGO activity is concentrated there.