Climate change causing stunting, underweight in Bangladeshi children: Study
He highlighted Bangladesh’s vulnerability to climate extremes, noting that 26% of the population is affected by cyclones and 70% live in flood-prone areas
Bangladeshi children are experiencing stunting and underweight conditions due to the adverse effects of climate change, according to a recent study.
The findings reveal that in-utero exposure to rainfall variations significantly reduces children's height-for-age (stunting) and weight-for-age (underweight) scores.
The study, titled "Health Effects of Climate Change and Mitigating Effects of Climate Policy: Evidence from Bangladesh," was presented during a roundtable organised by the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) today (11 December).
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Dr Minhaj Mahmud, senior economist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), delivered the keynote address.
"We identify that climate financing projects related to adaptation and mitigation have mitigating effects on these adversities by improving children's anthropometric outcomes," Minhaj said.
He highlighted Bangladesh's vulnerability to climate extremes, noting that 26% of the population is affected by cyclones and 70% live in flood-prone areas.
"In an agricultural economy, many people living below the poverty line have limited means to combat the harms of climate change and climate extremes. This often exacerbates health adversities, especially among lower-income groups," he added.
The study utilised three rounds of Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) data from 2011-12, 2015, and 2018-19, focusing on children aged 0-60 months.
The sample included 6,503 rural households across 325 primary sampling units, providing complete data for 6,802 children born between 2007 and 2018, with an almost equal gender distribution.
Minhaj explained that in-utero exposure to rainfall variations adversely impacts children's health outcomes by affecting agricultural production, a key determinant of household income and food security.
"Every 0.5-degree Celsius rise in global temperature leads to discernible increases in heat exposures, heavy rainfall events, and regional droughts, further amplifying these challenges," he said.
To address these issues, Minhaj stressed the importance of investigating whether existing climate policies benefit the agricultural sector and reduce health adversities caused by climate extremes.
"We recommend more concerted efforts in allocating climate funding to mitigate risks and lessen climate-induced health impacts," he said.
The roundtable was presided over by PRI Chairman Zaidi Sattar, with closing remarks delivered by PRI Executive Director Khurshid Alam.
The study underscores the urgent need for climate-sensitive policies to safeguard the health and well-being of future generations in Bangladesh.
