Climate finance, stronger coastal protection and recognition of economic and non-economic loss and damage were among the key demands at a Bangladesh Pavilion session at COP31 in Antalya yesterday (14 November), as speakers warned that erosion, tidal flooding and environmental degradation are threatening coastal islands, including Sandwip, Urirchar and Kutubdia.
They said the impacts were putting homes, livelihoods, ecosystems and generations of cultural heritage at risk, while communities that contribute least to global greenhouse gas emissions continue to bear the brunt of the climate crisis.
The session, titled “Chattogram to COP31: Climate Risk, Economic Growth and Environmental Accountability”, was organised by Human24. It brought together government representatives, policy experts, campaigners, academics, political representatives and journalists to discuss the environmental and socioeconomic challenges facing Bangladesh’s coastal islands.
State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam chaired the session. Prof Pierluigi Bozzi of the International University Network on Cultural and Biological Diversity (IUNCBD) and Monira Sharmin, joint convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), were among the panellists.
Saleh Noman, chief of the team at Human24, delivered the keynote address, while Sohanur Rahman, executive coordinator of YouthNet Global, moderated the discussion.
Special speakers included Arifur Rahman, chief executive of Young Power in Social Action (YPSA); Sadia Jahan Rothi of BRAC University’s Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER); journalist Shamsuddin Illius; and Golam Maula Murad, general secretary of the Chattogram Press Club.
The state minister highlighted the deterioration of coastal infrastructure due to salinity intrusion and the growing shortage of drinking water. He said many cyclone shelters and other coastal structures were deteriorating, adding to the difficulties of communities already exposed to climate hazards.
“Due to salinity intrusion, our structures automatically degrade within seven to eight years,” he said.
He also outlined government initiatives, including tree plantation, canal excavation, improved waste management and the promotion of electric vehicles and buses to reduce urban pollution. The government was also moving towards replacing traditional brickfields with concrete blocks for roads and infrastructure, he said.
“With proper technology and solid foundations, Bangladesh has significant potential for wind turbines and solar energy to transition away from fossil fuels,” he added.
Erosion threatens homes, livelihoods and heritage
In his keynote address, Saleh Noman highlighted the changes in Sandwip’s geography over the past century.
Figures presented at the session showed that the island covered approximately 502 square kilometres in 1880, compared with around 258 square kilometres in recent assessments. It reportedly lost more than 71 square kilometres between 1973 and 2020, with villages including Katghar, Batajora and Namaste disappearing beneath the water.
Although sediment deposition is creating new land in parts of the Meghna estuary, the newly emerged chars remain vulnerable to erosion and tidal flooding. This makes permanent settlement, livelihood security and access to essential services increasingly uncertain.
“More than half of Sandwip’s residents have lost their homes at least once. But the world treats their suffering as inevitable, a ‘natural destiny’,” Noman said.
“They are not responsible for this crisis. Our initiative seeks to amplify their voices, push for accountability, and demand climate justice,” he added.
He said displaced families lose more than homes and property, including agricultural land, fishing grounds, traditional livelihoods, community networks and cultural roots.
Speakers said displacement should not be treated as an unavoidable consequence of geography. They called for the experiences of coastal communities to be reflected in national and international climate policies, alongside greater accountability and support for families facing repeated displacement.
Call for recognition of economic and non-economic losses
Speakers also called for greater recognition of both economic and non-economic loss and damage caused by climate change.
Economic losses include damage to homes, agricultural land, infrastructure, fishing equipment and other livelihood assets. Non-economic losses include ancestral heritage, biodiversity, traditional knowledge, cultural identity and community networks.
They stressed that financial compensation alone cannot restore an ancestral village, recover traditional knowledge or replace a community’s cultural identity after displacement.
The speakers called for loss and damage mechanisms that respond directly to affected communities’ priorities and experiences rather than relying solely on top-down approaches. They also urged recovery programmes to address the social, cultural and psychological consequences of displacement alongside physical and economic damage.
Women and persons with disabilities must be included
Speakers warned that displacement, livelihood insecurity and weakened social protection systems can increase the risk of gender-based violence and discrimination.
They called for gender-responsive climate policies, accessible protection mechanisms and meaningful participation of women in adaptation planning and decision-making.
The discussion also highlighted barriers faced by persons with disabilities in accessing early warnings, evacuation facilities, cyclone shelters, healthcare and livelihood recovery services. Speakers said they should be involved as active partners in designing, implementing and monitoring climate policies, rather than treated merely as beneficiaries of assistance.
They also called for the participation of young people, fishing communities, coastal workers and other marginalised groups in setting development priorities and deciding how climate resources are allocated.
Economic growth must come with environmental accountability
Speakers stressed that infrastructure development and economic growth should not come at the expense of coastal ecosystems or shift environmental costs onto communities already exposed to climate risks.
They called for stronger environmental accountability in development planning, greater attention to fishing communities and coastal workers, and protection of natural ecosystems that support livelihoods and reduce climate risks.
A just transition, they said, must protect existing livelihoods while creating sustainable economic opportunities for communities affected by environmental degradation and climate-related displacement. Development policies should recognise the links between environmental protection, economic security and social justice, particularly in areas where people depend on coastal and marine resources.
Ocean protection must be central to climate action
Ocean protection also features in the broader COP31 Action Agenda, which identifies the ocean-climate nexus as an area for international cooperation.
The agenda highlights the inclusion of blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves and seagrass meadows, in national climate strategies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Other priorities include strengthening coastal ecosystem resilience, addressing marine heatwaves and ocean acidification, and expanding ocean observation systems and access to scientific data.
It also emphasises support for coastal communities that depend on marine resources and face growing climate risks.
These priorities are particularly important for Bangladesh, where millions of people depend on coastal and marine resources. Mangroves and other coastal ecosystems protect shorelines, support biodiversity, sustain livelihoods and strengthen resilience to climate impacts.
Speakers stressed the need to translate international commitments into practical action in vulnerable coastal areas through ecosystem restoration, scientific monitoring, stronger coastal protection and support for affected communities.
Climate finance, accountability and community-led solutions
Adequate, predictable and accessible climate finance was identified as essential to strengthening coastal resilience and supporting affected communities.
The state minister called for greater accountability from major greenhouse gas emitters and stronger cooperation among Global South countries and vulnerable island states to secure dedicated financing for adaptation, mitigation and ecosystem restoration.
Referring to international climate finance negotiations, he cited the goal of mobilising at least $300 billion annually by 2035 for developing countries, with developed countries taking the lead. The target was agreed under the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance at COP29.
The broader ambition is to scale up financing from all public and private sources to at least $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. Speakers stressed that these commitments must translate into tangible resources for climate-vulnerable communities.
They called for climate finance to be provided primarily through grants rather than loans, arguing that countries suffering significant climate losses should not be pushed further into debt to address a crisis to which they have contributed relatively little.
They also demanded transparent and accountable financing mechanisms to ensure resources reach affected communities and support locally led adaptation, coastal protection, ecosystem restoration and livelihood recovery.
Prof Bozzi stressed the importance of grassroots initiatives alongside international agreements and government interventions.
“Local institutions and individual households must dedicate time and effort to planning and developing their own sustainable futures and economic activities rather than waiting solely on top-down measures,” he said.
His remarks highlighted the role of community participation and local institutions in building long-term resilience. Speakers stressed, however, that community-led action must complement, not replace, the financial and political responsibilities of governments and major emitters.
Protecting Bangladesh’s vulnerable islands requires more than engineering interventions. It demands climate justice, environmental accountability, accessible grant-based finance, protection of coastal and marine ecosystems and meaningful participation by affected communities.
Speakers stressed that safeguarding these communities also means protecting their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, livelihoods and identities.
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