Bangladesh
Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and the effects of climate change. The Government of Bangladesh and international donors support a variety of resilience and disaster preparedness activities.

Overview
Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. The last two decades in Bangladesh have seen progress in poverty reduction, but these results have been uneven in their impact and their sustainability is continually threatened in Bangladesh’s increasingly complex risk environment. Bangladesh experiences catastrophic cyclones, tornadoes, and flooding. In addition, more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees fleeing Burma recently arrived in Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh has been proactive in improving disaster preparedness and mitigating against hydrological disasters, and international donors support a variety of resilience and disaster preparedness activities.
Complex Risk Environment
Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, including cyclones, floods, earthquakes, and landslides. Given Bangladesh’s topography, long and complex coastline, high population, and increasing urbanization, of particular concern are climate projections of more frequent and intense drought, rainfall, sea-level rise, and cyclones. Population growth, climate change, fluctuating global markets, political instability, inadequate governance mechanisms and human resource capacity to manage these risks are all major challenges.
These recurring shocks and stresses, already a substantial part of Bangladesh’s risk profile, will require significant resilience from Bangladeshi households, communities, and systems to prevent declines in development outcomes such as backsliding into poverty. In addition to these shocks and stresses, since 2015 more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Cox’s Bazar, and there is no foreseeable end to this displacement crisis.
Resilience Approach
The Government of Bangladesh has been proactive in taking important steps toward disaster preparedness and mitigating against hydrological disasters. In addition, international donors support a number of resilience-building activities, including establishing early warning systems; constructing cyclone shelters; strengthening the capacity of local governments and communities to respond to disasters; developing tools for disaster risk financing and insurance; increasing agricultural production and food security; and protecting the country’s natural resources and biodiversity. Moving ahead, international donors can build on these strides forward while also seeking sustainable solutions to the Rohingya crisis and the scale of future environmental shocks and stresses.
Featured Resources
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This brief summarizes existing knowledge and focuses on the issue of transitory escapes in particular, as a unique and concerning sub-set of...
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The report investigates the resources (land, livestock, and value of assets), attributes (household composition and education level), and...
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The objective of this research is to provide implementing partners, the USAID Office of Food for Peace, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with insights into factors that strengthen household and community resilience in Bangladesh.
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The Asia Resilience Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Workshop was held in Bangkok, Thailand from July 11-14, 2017. The USAID Center for Resilience (C4R) through the Resilience Evaluation, Analysis and Learning (REAL) Award supported the training event, to provide participants with...
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In all parts of the world, farmers face myriad risks. Not only do farmers face the same risks that we all face — disability, health crisis, etc. — but the additional risks of being dependent on external factors like the weather for their livelihoods. In Bangladesh those risks are magnified...
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Health intersects with resilience and sustained poverty escapes in at least three ways. Poor health reduces well-being and can be a shock or stressor at the individual, household, community or systems level. It can also act as an important form of human capital, a resilience capacity that...
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STRESS is a methodology that helps teams apply resilience thinking in distinct humanitarian or development contexts. Deepening understanding of risk and the systems communities rely on allows practitioners to adjust what they do and how they do it—helping maintain progress toward well-being...
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Recent research commissioned by the USAID Center for Resilience and conducted by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) examined why some households escape and remain out of poverty (sustainable poverty escape), while other households escape only to fall back into poverty (transitory poverty...
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This brief summarizes existing knowledge and focuses on the issue of transitory escapes in particular, as a unique and concerning sub-set of impoverishment.
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The report investigates the resources (land, livestock, and value of assets), attributes (household composition and education level), and activities (including jobs and engagement in non-farm activities) of households that enable them to escape poverty sustainably and minimize the likelihood of...
Sustainable Poverty EscapesBangladesh