Youth and women leaders call for stronger coordination in climate governance

Experts and government officials have called for stronger coordination, greater youth participation, and enhanced women's leadership to ensure effective climate policy implementation in Bangladesh.

Speakers at a discussion today (29 November) noted that while Bangladesh has made strong policy commitments and produced extensive climate-related documents, gaps remain in field-level implementation. 

In many cases, recommendations fail to reach local communities due to coordination gaps and the lack of youth-focused indicators in climate governance.

The discussion titled "High-Level Dialogue Between Policy Makers, Policy Influencers and Youth Leaders", was organised by The Earth at Hotel Bengal Blueberry under the Green Voices Project. 

The project is implemented by The Earth and Bonhishikha, managed by The Asia Foundation, and supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dhaka.

Chief guest Md Abdul Kadir, joint secretary at Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, said, "This policy brief provides valuable insights. It shows clearly that the Youth Policy needs to be updated and contextualised. If government and NGOs work together, we can build youth-friendly and unbiased policies that address real challenges."

MA Akher, director (admin) of Department of Youth Development, added, "Women and young people are among the most affected by climate change, yet their voices are rarely heard in decision-making spaces. We will take these findings and recommendations to political leadership to ensure youth perspectives are reflected in future policy updates."

Dr Anwar Zahid, director of Bangladesh Water Development Board, said, "Youth and women are essential forces for development. Despite strong policy documents, coordination remains a barrier. Research is robust, but implementation is weak. With the right people in the right roles, meaningful progress is achievable."

Faisal Bin Seraj, country representative of The Asia Foundation, noted, "Bangladesh has strong commitments, but to translate these into resilience, we need mechanisms that bring community stories into policy spaces. Policymakers must stay connected to lived experiences to craft effective solutions."

Shakila Sattar Trina, founder and general secretary of The Earth, said, "Youth must be integrated as core climate actors, not peripheral stakeholders. Women's leadership is equally critical in driving sustainable climate action."

As part of the Green Voices Project, The Earth conducted a policy gap analysis of national climate policies and developed a comprehensive policy brief. During the dialogue, government officials, development partners, researchers, and youth leaders discussed the key findings and recommendations.

The discussion highlighted significant disconnects between climate policies and the meaningful participation of youth and women. While the National Youth Policy 2017 includes climate provisions, the analysis found no systematic mechanism for integrating youth into disaster management, climate planning, or national adaptation processes.