The earth’s fever, our silence

Let us begin with a number: 432.

It is not an exam score, nor a memorable year. It is the approximate concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as of May 2026 — measured in parts per million (ppm). 

Before the Industrial Revolution, that figure hovered near 280 ppm. In other words, over two and a half centuries, we have altered the Earth's atmosphere in ways that have no precedent in a million years of geological history.

One of the cruellest injustices of climate change is this: those who have caused the most harm are suffering the least, while those who have contributed the least historically are bearing the heaviest burden today.

South Asia is the most glaring victim of this asymmetry. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka — collectively, these nations are responsible for only 4% to 5% of global carbon emissions. 

Yet they consistently rank among the highest on climate vulnerability indices. 

In 2025, temperatures in Pakistan's Balochistan and Sindh exceeded 52 degrees Celsius. Farmer deaths from heatwaves in India's Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are no longer rare occurrences — they have become a terrifying new normal. 

Nepal's Himalayan glaciers are retreating so rapidly that scientists warn of catastrophic flooding in the near term, followed by prolonged drought across the region's river systems within the next fifty years.

Bangladesh occupies the most precarious position in this geography. Covering just 147,570 square kilometres, it is home to nearly 180 million people. 

In so densely populated a land, the costs of environmental catastrophe multiply exponentially — vast numbers of lives and livelihoods become imperilled simultaneously.

A mere one-metre rise in sea level could submerge approximately 17% of the country's landmass. 

The question of where tens of millions of coastal inhabitants would then go has been asked urgently since before COP-15 in Copenhagen in 2009 — and the answer remains elusive. 

Meanwhile, millions pledged as climate compensation have repeatedly failed to reach their intended destinations, lost in bureaucratic delays and political manoeuvring.

The human cost behind the numbers

Beyond carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide play significant roles in driving climate change. 

Methane's heat-trapping capacity is roughly 80 times greater than that of CO₂ over a 20-year period. Research has shown that approximately 30% of agricultural methane globally originates from rice paddies.

In Bangladesh, a substantial share of total greenhouse gas emissions comes from the agricultural sector — including rice cultivation, livestock waste, and wetlands. In 2021, Bloomberg identified Bangladesh as the world's 12th largest methane emitter. Bangladeshi researchers, however, challenged that finding as an exaggeration, pointing out that Bangladesh's rice output is far smaller than that of the principal emitters — India and China.

Abandoning agriculture is not an option for addressing methane emissions. But sustainable farming methods, improved water management, and the development of climate-friendly crop varieties can meaningfully reduce them.

The global picture of overall greenhouse gas emissions is stark. 

In 2023, China alone accounted for 30% of the world's total greenhouse gas output — approximately 16,000 megatonnes of CO₂ equivalent, or roughly 11 tonnes per capita. 

In Bangladesh, a substantial share of GHG emissions comes from the agricultural sector — including rice cultivation, livestock waste, and wetlands. In 2021, Bloomberg identified Bangladesh as the world's 12th largest methane emitter. Bangladeshi researchers, however, challenged that finding as an exaggeration, pointing out that Bangladesh's rice output is far smaller than that of the principal emitters — India and China.

The United States ranked second with 5,970 megatonnes; on a per capita basis, however, it leads the world at 18 tonnes. India came third with 4,410 megatonnes, though its per capita figure remains comparatively low. Together, these three countries account for nearly half of global emissions. 

Bangladesh, by contrast, emits a mere 245 megatons — just 0.43% of the global total — with a per capita figure of only 1.4 tonnes, far below the world average. And yet, it is this very country that is absorbing the most devastating consequences of a crisis it did almost nothing to create.

The gap between policy and practice

Bangladesh has earned international recognition in several areas of climate adaptation. Its early warning systems and shelter networks for cyclone preparedness stand as a model for the world. 

The Delta Plan 2100 is an ambitious and far-sighted document. The country's Solar Home System programme is widely regarded as one of the most successful in the developing world.

Yet between the policy paper and the ground beneath our feet lie many formidable barriers. 

Air pollution in Dhaka has become a silent public health emergency. Legal action against environmental violations remains negligible compared to the scale of those violations. River encroachment continues openly despite legal prohibitions. 

River encroachment continues despite legal restrictions, while efforts to restore the Buriganga have produced only limited results. Wetlands surrounding the capital continue to disappear, contributing to waterlogging, rising temperatures and the loss of biodiversity. 

The argument that economic development requires environmental sacrifice is deeply flawed.

Development built on environmental degradation ultimately imposes far greater costs through healthcare expenditure, disaster recovery, infrastructure damage and agricultural losses. 

Adaptation: Beyond survival

Adaptation is not just about surviving floods. 

Firstly, agricultural adaptation is no longer optional — it is imperative. Salt-tolerant rice varieties, drought-resistant vegetables, floating gardens: these are genuine achievements of agricultural science. 

But they have yet to reach farmers at scale. Without greater investment in research and an expanded agricultural extension network, this gap will not close.

Secondly, urban planning must place climate risk at its centre. Dhaka faces rising temperatures and waterlogging. Chattogra grapples with landslides and tidal surges. Khulna confronts salinity and cyclones. Each city requires its own tailored, implementable climate response plan.

Thirdly, the financial sector, too, offers significant opportunities for green transformation. 

Green banking has been introduced in Bangladesh, but it has not yet entered the mainstream. Bangladesh Bank and other regulatory bodies could play a far more active role in climate risk financing, expanding agricultural insurance, and channeling green finance to small entrepreneurs.

Global climate justice: The conversation that must happen

Countries like Bangladesh must stop being seen — and seeing themselves — merely as victims. They must establish themselves as powerful voices in global climate negotiations.

The Loss and Damage Fund established at COP 27 remains underfunded. 

Developed nations have for years promised $100 billion annually in climate finance; yet much of what has actually arrived has come not as grants, but as loans. This is a question of justice. No climate negotiation can be considered complete without a genuine acknowledgement of historical responsibility.

At the same time, South Asian nations must deepen their regional cooperation. Effective collaboration on the management of rivers flowing through India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar; the monitoring of Himalayan glaciers; and the sharing of disaster data is no longer a matter of choice — it is a necessity.

The young generation: A force for change 

From Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg to a schoolgirl crossing floodwaters in Bangladesh's haor region to attend class, young people across the world are sending the same message — they want a future worth inheriting. 

Bangladesh's younger generation is increasingly aware of environmental challenges and eager to engage with solutions. If climate action can be meaningfully integrated into their aspirations and opportunities, it can evolve from an environmental movement into a broader force for social and economic transformation. 

Climate laboratories at universities, environmental clubs in schools and financial support for green entrepreneurs should be viewed as investments in the country's future. 

A final warning

The natural world is speaking in its own language — through floods, through heatwaves, through cyclones, through the retreat of glaciers. 

If we refuse to listen, nature will only deliver its message with greater force. That is precisely what has been happening.

World Environment Day is not a commemoration. It is a warning. 

If Bangladesh falls behind in the face of the climate crisis, it will not be a defeat for the environment alone — it will be the defeat of a nation's dream. 

The challenge is immense, but so is the opportunity. The decisions made today will shape the future for generations to come. 

M M Mahbub Hasan is a banker, development researcher and author.