The climate steering group and the global leadership team of the ActionAid Federation visited Bangladesh, a southern country impacted severely by the climate crisis. The visit enabled them to understand the multifaceted loss and damage.
In Jaymanirgol, Mongla, they met the local communities and learnt how salinity intrusion damaged their livelihoods affecting food security and social cohesion. The emission of Bangladesh in the global context is negligible. Yet, the communities are paying a high price in the face of climate extremities.

A roundtable discussion with Dhaka Tribune, one of the leading national dailies in Bangladesh, was held where the visitors engaged on different aspects of loss and damage and how global stakeholders can play a role in tackling the climate crisis. The outcomes of COP27 and the direction of ActionAid’s climate justice agenda were also discussed. The experience has been instrumental in deepening the understanding of the global leaders to advocate for climate justice and devise global strategies.

Dr. Ian Fry, the first Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, visited Bangladesh in September 2022. ActionAid facilitated his visit to Sunamganj and Sylhet in the backdrop of the floods. He met women and young leaders of the community who led emergency response during the flash floods in the same year in Sylhet. “The international community has to step up and take action to support these people. The loss and damage faced by these vulnerable communities are not their making. We have to do more to support these people because of climate change,” said Dr. Fry. He further emphasised the need for loss and damage financing facility.

The Sharub Youth Team in Bangladesh attended climate training, provided by the Global Platform (GP) and started a plastic recycling business in Shyamnagar, Satkhira. They sell segregated plastics to local buyers for recycling and use the profits to buy and plant trees, aiming to turn it into a social business. Additionally, nine youth groups worked on making schools green by recycling plastic and conducting climate literacy sessions for 1,575 students and teachers. Students collected and sold plastic to raise a climate fund, accumulating BDT 1,550 for future tree planting, with technical assistance and training from the GP.

During the FIFA World Cup 2022, matches were shown in 10 community centres, targeting people of all ages and gender. As a follow-up to this, girls’ football teams were formed and they participated in matches both indoors and outdoors in different camps. This initiative challenged social taboos against girls’ participation in sports and encouraged them to play football. Parents, Majhis, and camp management staff supported the girls’ football matches.

AAB, BRAC and three young Bangladeshi architects – Rizvi Hassan, Khwaja Fatmi and Saad Ben Mostafa, were awarded the prestigious ‘Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022’ for the innovative designs of community spaces, in the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar. It was a reflection of rising above loss and damage.

Jury Citation

“The temporary community spaces of the Rohingya Refugee Response programme provide a dignified, sensitive and ingenious response to emergency needs related to the major influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladeshi local communities, with particular attention to the safety of women and girls. The concept and design of the spaces are the result of appropriate planning, solid partnerships and inclusive processes involving the diverse refugee and local communities, such as defining spatial and functional needs.

The project’s implementation succeeded in adapting to various constraints (physical, social, regulatory, budgetary, climatic, and environmental) and harsh working conditions, and harnessing the skills of workers and artists – women and men from refugee and local communities – for both construction and decoration, drawing from a variety of Rohingya and Bangladeshi construction techniques, spatial and architectural features, ways of life and aesthetic references.”

A delegation from ActionAid, led by the organisation’s Secretary General, Marco De Ponte, met Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, on 24 June at the Quirinale Palace, Italy, to observe the 50th anniversary of his federation.

Farah Kabir, Climate Leader and Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh; Davide Agazzi, Former President of ActionAid Italy; Josephine Condemi, member of the Italian Board of ActionAid Italy; Hellen Grace Akwii, President of ActionAid International; Mariangela Cassano, member of the Italian Board and President of ActionAid Italy; Arthur Larok, Secretary General, ActionAid International; and Activist Ada Ugo Abara also joined the delegation.

The commitment of ActionAid in the fight against global inequalities, climate-change impacts and poverty, and importance of active participation of people to bring about change in communities were brought into the attention of the President, during the discussion. Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, discussed about the issues faced by young Bangladeshi migrants and the organsiation’s work in ensuring climate justice globally, while Ada Ugo Abara also spoke about youth migrants and their citizenship issues in Italy.

AAB, BRAC and three young Bangladeshi architects – Rizvi Hassan, Khwaja Fatmi and Saad Ben Mostafa, were awarded the prestigious ‘Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022’ for the innovative designs of community spaces, in the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar. It was a reflection of rising above loss and damage.