The Department of Environmental Science and Management and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) hosted a policy dialogue on climate change adaptation at Hotel Castle Salam in Khulna City on November 7, 2024.

The event, a part of the Norway Higher Education (NORHED) project titled “Co-creating knowledge for local adaptation to climate change in the LDCs” (COLOCAL), aimed to engage researchers, government officials, and community representatives in discussions on sustainable adaptation strategies for climate-vulnerable regions in Bangladesh.

The dialogue featured research presentations by IUB graduates Shahadat Hossain and Ishrat Jahan, who are COLOCAL fellows from IUB’s MSc in Climate Change and Development program. Supported by full scholarships under the COLOCAL project, their research focused on addressing the vulnerabilities faced by communities in Khulna and the Tala upazila of Satkhira.

Their fieldwork, conducted in partnership with local stakeholders, shed light on critical issues such as water scarcity, social exclusion, and the impacts of climate change on local livelihoods. Md. Asraful Alam, Executive Engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board in Khulna, also presented findings on the challenges faced by polder communities in the region.

The policy dialogue drew participants from various government departments, including environment, agriculture, social services, women's affairs, and youth development, alongside representatives from NGOs like Rupantar, DALIT, Parittran, and CARITAS. Members of the Dalit and Munda communities actively engaged in the discussions, raising concerns about fresh water shortages, child marriage, plastic pollution, and other socio-environmental challenges impacting their communities.

K. Ayaz Rabbani, PhD, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Management at IUB, emphasized the importance of collaborative research and knowledge-sharing for developing effective climate adaptation strategies.

Swapan Kumar Guha, Executive Director of Rupantar, and Swapan Kumar Das, Executive Director of DALIT, also shared their perspectives on community resilience and adaptive capacity building. The event was further enriched by insights from Rafia Anjum Rimi, a COLOCAL fellow of 2024, and Fahmid Mohtasin, COLOCAL Project Officer.

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