Climate change adaptation and mitigation

Climate change adaptation and mitigation is a core area of activity at BCAS becuase Bangladesh is recognized as a country most vulnerable to climate change. Natural hazards such as floods, increased rainfall, rising sea levels, and tropical cyclones are expected to increase which may seriously affect agriculture, water & food security, human health and shelter. This programme is therefore a significant part of the “Integration of Environment and Development” theme which BCAS is based around. BCAS has achieved specialization in this area throughout the years by conducting research with sophisticated in-house technology, building awareness, designing advocacy campaigns, publications and collaborating with development partners at national and international levels.

Objective

• To develop models and ideas in climate change adaptation and mitigation as a part of sustainable development

• To ensure community resilience through comprehensive, planning implementation and management of resources. 

Approach

BCAS addresses this area with the following activities:

• Conducting research by assessing impacts, vulnerabilities, adaptation and mitigation potential
• Compiling inventory on Greenhouse gases  
• Promoting clean development mechanisms
• Raising awareness and building capacity 
• Formulating policy for institutional development
• Contributing to global assessment and negotiations
• Designing advocacy campaigns at local, regional and global levels 

Outcomes

• Experts at BCAS are the main contributing authors of the IPCC reports on climate change.
• BCAS has published a number of books, working papers and scientific articles on climate change impacts on development, poverty, disaster risk reduction and helps to build capacity of various actors like government departments, NGOs, community and development partners in Bangladesh.

• BCAS is the secretariat for the Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) which consists of fourteen non-governmental organizations in South Asia working on Climate Change issues and publishes the journal “Clime Asia”.

• BCAS worked with the Government of Bangladesh to formulate the National    Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP).
• BCAS has organized a number of seminar and dialogues on climate change, causes, impacts, mitigation and north-south cooperation. It has helped to put forward southern perspectives in global discourses on climate change. 
• Two Community Based Adaptation (CBA) workshops were organized in Dhaka in 2005 and 2007, where experts and practitioners from across the world shared their ideas and experiences.
• BCAS has organized orientation workshops aimed to increase understanding and awareness about climate change impacts on development, poverty alleviation, food and water security. BCAS has also organized workshops on  Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) so that the partner organizations can internalize climate change issues in their institutional strategies and development programmes.
• BCAS has provided orientation to partner organizations on climate change, development, poverty alleviation, livelihood and DRR.

Projects (hyperlink with project page)

• Country vulnerability and sectoral studies
• Climate change mitigation studies and action
• Climate change adaptation: BCAS implemented RVCC (Reducing Vulnerability of climate change) in floodplain ecosystem in collaboration with Care Bangladesh and currently is implementing two community based climate change adaptation project in drought prone and coastal zone.
• Linking climate change issues with DRR and conducting a number of Community Risk Assessment (CRA) in the context of climate threats in vulnerable areas of Bangladesh with the Disaster Management Bureau under the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP).
• Formulation of Risk Reduction Action Plan (RRAP) for addressing climate problem at the community level.
• Nationwide study for CDMP on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) in relation to climate risk and vulnerability. 
• Addressing climate related disaster impacts at community level (multi-country project)
• Asia’s Least-Cost Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy
• Bangladesh Climate Change Country Study
• North South Dialogue on Climate Change
• Climate And Development
• Sustainable Development and Climate Change
• Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
• Formulation of the Bangladesh Programme of Action for Adaptation to Climate Change (NAPA)
• Linking Climate Adaptation
• Bangladesh Country Experiences and Highlights for NCCSAP
• Improving Capacity of Vulnerable Household, A BCAS-CARE-RVCC Partnership Project
• South South North Project (SSN)-CDM Capacity Building Activities
• Capacity Building of LDCs of Adaptation of Climate Change (CLACC)
• South South North Project (SSN) : Poverty And Climate
• NIES-PELANGI-BCAS Climate Change Project
• SSN-2, Adaptation to Climate Change
• Development & Climate Change-Phase-II
• Building Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change for Selected Drought and Flood Prone Areas of Bangladesh.

Publications

• National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP) (4 volumes)
• Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change for Bangladesh
• Vulnerability of Bangladesh to Climate Change and Sea Level Rise (4 Volumes)
• Climate Change (South South North)
• Climate Action Network South Asia: First Regional Meeting and Research Agenda

Key Personnel: Dr. Atiq Rahman, Dr. Moinul Islam Sharif, Sarder Shafuqul Alam  Dr. DL Mallick, Golam Rabbani (hyperlinked)