Tackling flooding in Bangladesh in a changing climate

This policy brief examines the physical and socioeconomic factors that make Bangladesh so vulnerable to flooding, particularly in a changing climate, before reviewing how the country has addressed this challenge to date and how it might respond better in the future.

The following are some of the takeaways from the policy brief:

• Bangladesh is highly prone to flooding because of its location in the Bengal Delta and its low-lying, flat topography.
• Barriers to implementing more effective flood risk management in Bangladesh include insufficient knowledge about vulnerabilities and local needs; a lack of capacity in local institutions such as the Ministry of
• Disaster Management and Relief; governance issues; and poor access to funding for investment in adaptation. 
• Governance of flood and disaster risk could be improved through needs assessments, more community participation, better coordination between government and non-governmental organisations, and between government agencies themselves