National workshop unveils climate justice initiative, advocates equitable policies

Plan International Bangladesh recently hosted a national dissemination workshop to present its scoping study, "Understanding SRHR, WASH, and Livelihoods Situations and Pathways Forward in Climate-Vulnerable Locations of Southwest Bangladesh," highlighting critical service gaps and recommending evidence-based policy and programmatic interventions.

The event featured a high-level panel discussion on sustainable and resilient pathways, coinciding with the official launch of Plan International Bangladesh's DURBAR Programme, a flagship initiative promoting climate justice and gender equality in coastal communities.

According to a press release published yesterday, the study, conducted in Khulna and Satkhira, examined how cyclones, salinity intrusion, and water scarcity exacerbate challenges related to reproductive health, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), and livelihoods, particularly for women, girls, and marginalised populations.

Chief Guest Mohammad Navid Safiullah, Additional Secretary of Environment, stated, "Such evidence will be highly useful in designing integrated, people-centred adaptation strategies," highlighting the importance of the data found and analysed. 

Ashrafi Ahmad, Director General of Family Planning, added, "The impacts of climate change are not only environmental but also a public health and human rights crisis. Health and family planning systems must become climate- and gender-sensitive."

Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, First Secretary at the Embassy of Sweden, emphasised that the study provides guidance for systematic solutions and called for collaboration among local government, policymakers, and youth to address vulnerabilities in Bangladesh's southwestern coastal regions.

Plan International Bangladesh underscores that the study's findings can inform government policy, guide donor priorities, and shape future programs to safeguard reproductive health, access to water and sanitation, and sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable communities in climate-affected areas.