Bangladesh is at the heart of the climate crisis, with its population increasingly feeling the impact of extreme weather events.
Among its citizens, older people are particularly at risk, yet they remain a largely overlooked group in climate action.
“I can feel how the temperature, rain, cold, and even the harshness of the river and sea have changed drastically over the years. As an older person, I have to keep fishing to support myself, but the extreme weather conditions are wearing me out.”
– Male, 79 years old
Recent research by HelpAge, in collaboration with the UKRI GCRF Living Deltas Hub and the Bangladeshi Resource Integration Centre, sheds light on the challenges and strengths of older people and outlines key recommendations to ensure older people are active participants in building climate resilience.
Ensuring Inclusive Climate Action in Bangladesh
The Growing Number of Older People in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is experiencing rapid population aging, with approximately 15.3 million people aged 60 and over.
This demographic shift brings both opportunities and challenges. Older people often face heightened risks from climate change due to physical limitations, reliance on younger family members during disasters, and limited access to resources.
However, they also hold immense potential to contribute to their communities’ resilience.
Coping with Climate Impacts
Our research shows that older people in Bangladesh are adopting various strategies to manage climate-induced hazards. Common approaches include staying at home during disasters and taking out loans to rebuild their lives. Their intimate knowledge of the environment and natural resources plays a crucial role in supporting their households and communities.
However, systemic barriers often prevent them from fully participating in climate action. Addressing these barriers is essential to creating inclusive and effective solutions.
“I don’t know if the government is thinking about people like us. It feels like they may not recognize the deprivation and suffering we endure from the recent climate changes and disasters.”
– Woman, 59, Sundarbans region
The Way Forward: Recommendations for Inclusive Climate Action
- Build the climate resilience of older people through a universal gender- and disability-responsive social pension.
- Enhance interdepartmental cooperation to strengthen adaptive and shock-responsive social protection systems.
- Shift perceptions of older people as passive by recognizing their resilience and environmental expertise.
- Encourage older people’s active participation in planning, implementing, and assessing climate actions at the community level.
- Empower local authorities to develop and fund age-, gender-, and disability-inclusive adaptation initiatives.
- Provide information tailored to older people’s needs, considering gender, disability, and local challenges, while promoting capacity-building.
- Support Older People’s Organizations (OPAs) to monitor climate policies and advocate for inclusive climate action.
- Ensure older people are integrated into the design and implementation of national climate frameworks like the National Adaptation Plans.
- Promote income-generating activities for older people, such as revolving funds subsidized by local governments.
- Develop policies that recognize and showcase older people’s contributions to climate justice and action.
- Invest in intergenerational programs to foster collaboration on climate adaptation and conservation.
- Incorporate aging into climate research and collect disaggregated data to address inequalities.
- Invest in long-term intergenerational programs which bring younger and older generations together.
- Integrate aging into climate research.
A Call for Inclusive Climate Action
Older people in Bangladesh are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Their risks and challenges must be recognized, but so too should their knowledge, experience, and resilience. Empowering them as active contributors to climate solutions will not only safeguard their well-being but also benefit their communities and the nation as a whole.
By adopting these recommendations, Bangladesh can lead the way in ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against climate change.
