Bangladesh has long been a country of movement. There are as many reasons for migrating as there are people, but the first thing a migrant will typically tell you is that he or she moved for better economic opportunities. Bangladesh has also always been a country of dangerous weather, and, as climate change becomes a bigger problem, this is increasingly …

I have just returned from an exhilarating and exhausting week in New York, where I was one of 38 representatives from global civil society invited by Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to attend the UN Climate Summit. The week kicked off on 20 September, when I was invited to spend the afternoon with SouthBronxUnite – a community of people affected by Hurricane Sandy …

I am conducting my research on children-focused disaster risk reduction (DRR) programs and how they enable children to reduce vulnerabilities to the climate-induced hazards like flood and cyclones. Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country due to climate change.  According to a report on DRR for Bangladesh, climate experts predict that climate-induced hazards like floods and cyclones will not only become more …

Climate-induced rural livelihood loss and consequent rural-urban migration is a common scenario in developing countries. However, little is currently known about the dynamics of the process of climate-displaced migration and the experiences of associated migrants. My research has been an attempt to understand how poor climate-induced migrants perceive their urban conditions in hydro-geophysical and socio-economic terms.Dhaka City, the densely populated …

I thought the field trip would be nice escape from my routine in Dhaka but I never imagined it would become an inspiration to my work on loss and damage. More often than not, loss and damage is perceived as a calculation of monetary impacts following an extreme event, and more controversially as a method of compensation to developing countries. …

During our journey back on a ferry to Dhaka from Bagerhaat, I kept thinking about the unending resiliency of our people to adapt with the nature’s fury that often disrupts their lives.  I also learned a critical lesson from Dr. Huq.  That people, above all, are at the core of development in Bangladesh. Our field trip took us to several …

Traveling with ICCCAD in rural Bangladesh visiting flood prone communities was an insightful and inspiring experience to a visiting researcher like myself. Although Dhaka has its own crazy charm, coming out of the city always makes one realize what a beautiful country Bangladesh is. Intensely green, with colorful saris hanging out to dry. During our four day trip, we visited …

Arriving in Dhaka the day after a general election embroiled in controversy and starting my time off confined to one neighbourhood because of hartals had me understandably uneasy about my time here at first, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. From the mountains in Bandarban to the rice paddies in Jessore, from a small Hindu village nestled next to …

I visited Bangladesh for ten weeks in the spring, joining the team at ICCCAD as a visiting researcher and volunteer for CBA 07, whilst completing my masters research. My overall experience was fruitful and rewarding, though it held many challenges throughout. My masters research examines the impact of global climate change knowledge for local climate change adaptation. This includes investigation …

My time at ICCCAD has been short, but very rewarding. I came here as a visiting researcher working on a project for my master’s degree thesis, and while I was only in Dhaka two months I will be leaving feeling as if I have accomplished all the goals I set for myself while being here. My research is not particularly …