Climate change: BPATC trainers receive specialised training to develop course modules for enhancing locally-led adaptation

The Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center (BPATC) trainers receive specialised training to develop course modules for enhancing locally-led adaptation (LLA) for climate change issues.

The five-day-long training workshop will be completed on 16 May at BRAC-CDM Savar.

The workshop hosted by the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in partnership with the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) and the Centre for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD), and with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the Government of the United Kingdom.

About the training workshop Anju Sharma, Global Lead - Locally Led Adaptation, GCA said, "BPATC as a critical partner in integrating climate adaptation into national development. Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue—it impacts all sectors, from agriculture to health, and requires coordinated action across ministries. BPATC is ideal for this role because it trains public administrators from diverse sectors. By embedding climate adaptation into their courses, BPATC can ensure officials understand the National Adaptation Plan and translate policies into local action."

She also said, "A key focus is locally-led adaptation, ensuring solutions are community-driven and institutionalised. Unlike one-off workshops, BPATC's training will become a permanent part of Bangladesh's governance framework. Faculty are designing the course modules themselves, with support from international experts, to tailor content for local needs. The initiative also engages communities directly. This pilot program could set a global example. GCA plans to replicate Bangladesh's model in Africa, emphasizing local government training."

The course module, which will be embedded in core training programs for Bangladeshi government officials, will focus on institutionalising LLA across sectors in Bangladesh by training public administrators on how best to address climate change impacts through inclusive and integrated locally led approaches.

Fifteen faculty members from BPATC are being equipped with the requisite knowledge and facilitation skills needed to develop and deliver the LLA course module as part of the Centre's core training programs for government officials.

Hasan Murtaza Masum, Director of the BPATC said, "We learned so many thins about climate change and why we need to include LLA in our course module. We could have given the people we train a little idea about climate change issues. In fact, we didn't know the issues that we are learning through this training. We will later focus on the module of the courses, specifically on lead adaptation."

The effort is linked directly to the Government of Bangladesh's 2023-2050 National Adaptation Plan and its objective to integrate adaptation and LLA approaches across key economic sectors to curtail the impacts of climate change.

Mala Begom and Sajida Rahman from Sachiar Badh a highly climate vulnerable informal settlement in Patuakhali, explained how 112 settlements in the municipality were profiled, and 33 settlements shortlisted on the basis of climate vulnerability, tenure security, urban informality, and climate migration, by community mobilizers – community members who were trained to lead this process.

They attend the workshop and expressed their challenge and how they overcome with locally led adaptation. Focus group discussions were then conducted by the community mobilizers in these 33 settlements, to assess hazard exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.