IIFD and CIDD publish Bangladesh poverty watch report 2024
The Bangladesh Poverty Watch Report 2024, jointly prepared by the Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM) and the Centre for Inclusive Development Dialogue (CIDD), highlights the crucial connection between climate change and poverty in Bangladesh.
This is the third edition of the Poverty Watch series, with the 2024 report focusing on how climate vulnerability exacerbates existing socio-economic inequalities.
Despite significant progress, over 30 million people in Bangladesh still live in poverty. The report highlights that poor and marginalised communities bear the brunt of climate-induced disasters due to their limited ability to adapt and recover. From tidal surges to flash floods and rising temperatures, climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' for the country's most vulnerable populations.
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The analysis draws on ground-level evidence from seven climate-affected districts—Chuadanga, Naogaon, Bhola, Sunamganj, Kurigram, Satkhira and Bagerhat—each representing a distinct form of vulnerability. It also combines data from the BBS's Upazila Poverty Map 2022 and climate risk assessments to show that all of the 30 most poverty-stricken upazilas exhibit high or moderate levels of climate vulnerability.
The report identifies intersectional groups—char dwellers, ethnic minorities, Dalits, people with disabilities, elderly citizens, and the third gender—as particularly exposed to both slow- and rapid-onset climate hazards. Although many households attempt resilience strategies such as plinth-raising and rainwater harvesting, these often fall short without structured intervention.
Recommendations include increasing energy efficiency, reducing methane emissions, halting deforestation, and promoting afforestation. The report also recommends implementing a carbon pricing mechanism, investing in skills development, promoting green infrastructure, and integrating climate-informed trade policies.
The report concludes that poverty alleviation and climate action must go hand in hand, and that the time for integrated, inclusive policy action is now. With international support in the form of finance, technology, and institutional development, Bangladesh can build a more resilient and equitable future.
