Climate and Gender: The Unfinished Business of COP28 in Bangladesh
In the coastal village of Shyamnagar in Satkhira, a woman named Rina faces a relentless battle. Rising salinity from encroaching seawater ruins her family’s rice fields, forcing her to walk far every day to collect fresh water. Her story is all too common in Bangladesh, the seventh most climate-vulnerable nation in the world, according to Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index 2021. For women like Rina, the outcomes of climate conferences like COP28 matter—and yet, promises often outpace progress.
COP28 placed gender squarely on the agenda. The establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund offers Bangladesh a ray of hope—a concrete way to fund recovery after the inevitable effects of a changing climate, like devastating cyclones and insidious erosion, upend vulnerable communities.
“The Gender-Responsive Just Transitions and Climate Action Partnership demonstrates a shift, acknowledging women’s vital role in adaptation and recognizing the need to incorporate their experiences and knowledge into the worldwide green transition,” says the latest edition’s proceedings.
However, while COP28 offered progress, it remains slow; and time is a luxury that nations like Bangladesh cannot afford. Bangladesh, the broader climate justice movement, and COP29 must prioritize clear commitments, bold funding allocations, and an unwavering focus on equality in future climate talks.
Bangladesh faces internal realities that add urgency to addressing gender gaps in climate resilience. Poverty, ethnicity, and social marginalization interact with climate risks, compounding existing inequality. COP28 should have been a strong advocate for funding women-led innovation. Bangladeshi women are a wellspring of adaptive solutions, from local-level resilience initiatives to sustainable farming practices.
“Bangladesh deserves global advocacy on issues like climate-driven female migration, which demands international frameworks and protections,” emphasizes the call for action. Investment in girls’ education is crucial for redressing inequitable climate impacts in the long term.
The nation must demand transparency and accountability in loss and damage funding, advocate alongside climate-vulnerable nations, and play a central role in knowledge-sharing to ensure it is seen as a driver of solutions, not simply a victim.
Within Rina’s narrative lie potent truths: resourcefulness in the face of adversity, the quiet but relentless force of marginalized women fighting for survival, and the harsh reality that ignoring intertwined issues of climate and gender will come at a profound cost for society as a whole.
As the clock ticks for COP29, world leaders, and wealthy nations, they must invest in the women of Bangladesh, support their innovations, and give them a seat at decision-making tables. Their leadership, strengthened by the world leaders’ action, offers the best hope for a future where justice and survival go hand in hand.
Source: The Daily Star
Source Contributor: SM Mashrur Arafin Ayon, Reseracher, South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), North South University. His research interests lie in the intersections of gender, technology, and feminist theory.
Picture Credit: Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/The New Humanitarian
