The Climate Watch’s reporting on the environmental costs of Bangladesh’s digital expansion formed part of EJN’s award-winning “Dark Side of the Boom” collaboration, adding to international recognition for the newsroom’s investigative journalism.
The Climate Watch has earned international recognition as a participating newsroom in “Dark Side of the Boom”, the Earth Journalism Network-led investigation that won a 2026 Covering Climate Now Journalism Award.
The Bangladesh-based climate and environment publication contributed an investigation by Shamsuddin Illius examining the pressure that the country’s expanding data-centre industry places on electricity, groundwater and environmental governance.
The collaborative project won in the Large Projects & Collaborations category, according to the official winners’ list. The recognition is shared by the Earth Journalism Network and its global partners, with The Climate Watch named among the participating organisations and Illius among the credited journalists.
His report, “Digital Dreams, Parched Reality: The Hidden Cost of Bangladesh’s Data Industry Gold Rush”, was published in The Climate Watch on November 5, 2025.
The investigation brought a Bangladesh perspective to a regional question: how much water, electricity and environmental security are countries committing to the infrastructure supporting their digital ambitions?
Reporting from Kaliakoir Hi-Tech Park in Gazipur, Illius examined investment in data centres alongside concerns about groundwater extraction, energy demand and limited disclosure of environmental impacts.
The report cited government figures showing Bangladesh had 48 data centres, including 22 public and 26 private facilities. However, officials could not confirm their combined electricity or water consumption despite repeated requests.
It also recorded concerns from nearby residents about falling groundwater levels and interviewed specialists who called for renewable energy, water recycling and stronger environmental oversight.
Government perspectives were included. Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, then special assistant to the chief adviser overseeing telecommunications and ICT, acknowledged concerns about the sector’s sustainability and the resource burden of requiring all data to be stored domestically.
The reporting connected decisions about digital infrastructure with the practical questions of who receives reliable power, who retains access to water and how environmental costs are monitored.
The wider collaboration brought together 14 newsrooms across 11 countries. Its 18 stories investigated the physical infrastructure behind digital services and the consequences for communities and ecosystems.
In their award citation, judges called the project “brilliant” and “highly original”, commending its combination of field reporting, expert knowledge and engaging presentation.
For The Climate Watch, the award extends a sequence of international recognition associated with the same reporting project.
Md Ibrahim Khalilullah, Executive Editor of The Climate Watch and a 2025 CCNow Journalism Award winner, said, “Having received a Covering Climate Now award in 2025, I am especially proud to see The Climate Watch recognised as part of this international collaboration.”
He also mentioned, “Shamsuddin Illius’s investigation demonstrates how independent journalism from Bangladesh can bring essential evidence to global debates. This shared achievement strengthens our commitment to investing in rigorous environmental reporting, supporting cross-border partnerships and holding decision-makers accountable for the consequences of development.”
In June, the newsroom was recognised through the collaboration’s SOPA 2026 Award for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment in the Regional/Local category. The earlier award acknowledged reporting on the environmental and social consequences of Asia’s digital expansion.
The Climate Watch’s contribution placed Bangladesh’s experience within that regional investigation, showing how national development choices intersect with global demand for computing capacity.
The collaboration also received recognition through a special citation for journalistic innovation from the 2026 Osborn Elliott Prize jury. As The Climate Watch reported in June, the citation recognised the role of newsroom partnerships in investigating issues that extend beyond national borders.
That distinction was separate from the main Osborn Elliott Prize, awarded to The New York Times journalist Vivian Wang. The special citation highlighted collaborative approaches to producing original public-interest journalism.
Together, these honours have brought wider attention to The Climate Watch’s participation in reporting that connects local evidence with regional environmental accountability.
Commenting on the earlier SOPA recognition, The Climate Watch Executive Editor Md Ibrahim Khalilullah said it reflected the importance of independent environmental journalism from Bangladesh and of connecting local reporting with international debates. His remarks were published in June.
The Covering Climate Now awards were announced on September 17. Organisers named 49 winners after receiving more than 1,200 entries from journalists in dozens of countries.
A jury of 120 journalists from more than 30 countries selected the winners. Now in its sixth year, the programme recognises reporting across 14 subject categories, alongside major collaborations and individual achievements. The organisers’ announcement described the winning work as a model for climate coverage.
Bangladesh was also represented by Usraat Fahmidah and Rifat Anik, who won in the Extreme Weather category for “Where Land Disappears”, published by Asian Dispatch.
Their multimedia work examines the struggles of women in Banishanta facing erosion, displacement and worsening insecurity. Asian Dispatch credits Fahmidah as reporter and Anik as video producer, with support from the Earth Journalism Network.
Announcing this year’s awards, CCNow co-founder Kyle Pope emphasised the importance of recognising strong journalism as some newsrooms retreat from climate coverage despite increasingly urgent impacts.
The recognised Bangladesh work spans both sides of that challenge: investigating development decisions that intensify environmental pressures and documenting the experiences of people living with their consequences.
