Final report: Assessment and scoping mission for DFID Bangladesh’s new climate change programme

Abstract

Bangladesh is extremely climate vulnerable, and will be even more so due to climate change. DFID Bangladesh is a major provider of climate financing in Bangladesh, and has been supporting the country through the Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BBCRF), the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) and the small Strategic Fund. It is now looking to develop an innovative climate change programme that will: respond to the country’s needs, align with Government of Bangladesh (GoB) priorities, add value in a complex landscape, learn from the past, and build on new relevant research. This study was conducted to investigate the needs and examine the options for the design of a new DFID Bangladesh Climate Change programme. It builds on experience gained through the current programmes, and focuses on addressing the needs of Bangladesh in adapting to climate change over different time scales (short term: next 5-10 years; medium term: 10-20 years; and long term: more than 20 years). Following the introduction, Section 2 provides a brief overview of climate change impacts and vulnerabilities in Bangladesh, and a description and assessment of the key institutions involved in tackling climate change. It also sets out the major Government plans and policies, the climate finance architecture, and the main development partner initiatives. Section 3 is focused on options for DFID programming in Bangladesh, from a description of the conceptual framework, the assessment criteria, a presentation of options, to the analysis and recommendations. Section 4 contains the conclusions, next steps, and areas for further research. The Appendices present the selected bibliography, the stakeholders consulted, the stakeholder consultation guidelines and research framework, the Terms of Reference for the assignment, and additional information on stakeholders, policies, and programmes. This report has been produced by Ricardo-AEA for Evidence on Demand with the assistance of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) contracted through the Climate, Environment, Infrastructure and Livelihoods Professional Evidence and Applied Knowledge Services (CEIL PEAKS) programme, jointly managed by DAI (which incorporates HTSPE Limited) and IMC Worldwide Limited