Bangladesh launches gender-sensitive livelihood tools and a climate roadmap to support coastal women facing salinity impacts, aiming to strengthen resilience, improve livelihoods and advance empowerment in vulnerable southwestern regions.
Bangladesh has introduced a set of gender-sensitive livelihood tools and a long-term climate roadmap aimed at helping coastal women cope with the growing impacts of climate change, particularly salinity intrusion, officials said on Monday.
The new framework was presented at a validation workshop titled “Resilient Futures: Gender-Sensitive Livelihood Tools and Climate Pathways” held at a hotel in the capital. The initiative seeks to address the multiple challenges faced by women in coastal regions, where rising salinity has intensified vulnerabilities linked to health, income and daily living conditions.
The programme is being jointly implemented by the Department of Women Affairs under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Department of Public Health Engineering. It covers five upazilas in the southwestern districts of Khulna and Satkhira, areas among the most affected by climate-induced salinity.
The project, titled “Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Coastal Communities, Especially Women, to Cope with Climate-Induced Salinity,” is facilitated by the Institute of Professional Training and Management, which organised the workshop. Technical support is being provided by the United Nations Development Programme, while funding comes from the Green Climate Fund and the government of Bangladesh.
Officials said the initiative has finalized several key outputs, including a Training of Trainers curriculum, a context-specific gender-sensitive livelihood planning toolkit and a report outlining projected climate impacts up to 2050. Stakeholders from the field level shared feedback on these materials during the session.
Speaking as chief guest, Department of Women Affairs Director General Jinat Ara, who holds the rank of additional secretary, said strengthening the adaptive capacity of coastal communities remains a national priority.
“The tools and pathways approved today will play a vital role in helping coastal women survive in adverse conditions and advance their empowerment,” she said.
Sardar Mohammad Asaduzzaman, head of UNDP’s Resilience and Inclusive Growth Cluster, said Bangladesh continues to demonstrate leadership in climate adaptation, adding that the project stands as a strong example of that commitment.
The workshop was chaired by Abdul Hai Al Mahmud, additional secretary at the Department of Women Affairs and national project director. He noted that the approved tools would support the expansion of climate-resilient livelihoods in vulnerable coastal areas.
Representatives from various government agencies, development partners and local stakeholders attended the event. Speakers expressed optimism that the initiative would contribute to ensuring sustainable livelihoods in salinity-affected coastal regions.
