A divisional roundtable on the impacts of climate change in northern Bangladesh was jointly organized by ESDO and Prothom Alo, with support from Helvetas Bangladesh.
The event, titled “Climate Change: Its Impacts on the Northern Region and Possible Responses,” was held at a hotel auditorium in Rangpur on Wednesday, 24 December 2025.
Speakers at the roundtable observed that it is time to raise a stronger voice about the growing climate crisis in the northern districts. People in this region are experiencing severe consequences of climate change. River erosion, floods, flash floods, droughts, extreme heat, and harsh winters are significantly affecting daily life. They stressed the need to strengthen climate-adaptation capacity and to prioritise education, health, agriculture, and employment in a planned manner. Special attention must also be given to addressing the health risks faced by women and children.
Directors and deputy directors from five government departments, representatives from civil society and non-governmental organisations, affected men and women, students, and media professionals participated in the discussion.
Zilufa Sultana, Director of the Divisional Social Services Office, said displacement is the biggest challenge for the northern region due to climate change. Thousands of people are losing their homes every year because of river erosion, and river dredging is expensive. She emphasised the need for a coordinated approach.
Nur Alam, Divisional Director of the Department of Environment, noted that the country’s three major rivers flow through the northern region, carrying heavy sediment. Severe erosion occurs in Kurigram and Gaibandha. He mentioned that a project is underway in Gangachara under the Climate Change Trust, where houses for poor families, solar-powered irrigation pumps, and roads are being constructed. He recommended that NGOs working on climate issues undertake projects under the Climate Change Trust.
Sirajul Islam, Deputy Director of the District Agriculture Extension Office, said unseasonal floods caused by climate change are preventing timely crop planting, leading to reduced yields. Agriculture, he said, is highly vulnerable: in the Aman season, temperatures above 35°C or below 10°C damage paddy, and higher temperatures increase pest and disease attacks.
Abu Chayem, Deputy Director of the Burirhat Horticulture Centre, said that tackling the adverse impacts of climate change requires collective effort. Men, women, farmers, and all communities—from the char areas to urban neighbourhoods—must be made more aware.
Selowara Begum, Deputy Director of the District Women’s Affairs Office, highlighted that women and children are the most affected by climate change.
Golam Faruk, Project Operation Lead of ESDO’s ACCESS project, presented the organisation’s climate-adaptation activities in Nageshwari, Ulipur, and Sadar upazilas of Kurigram. Climate councils have been formed at the district, upazila, and union levels.
Rashida Begum of Char Hamar in Nageshwari described the hardships faced by people in the char areas due to climate impacts. Floods submerge paddy fields, roads collapse, and trees die from extreme heat. She said children and elderly people often fall ill during severe cold spells.
Julekha Khatun, a college student from Char Tupamari, explained how residents built a bamboo bridge during floods, benefiting about 20,000 people across two villages. Entrepreneur Khadija Parvin urged government and non-governmental organisations to provide sanitary napkins to women during floods.
Farida Yasmin, Executive Director of Nari in Kurigram, said her organisation has installed mobile solar power banks on three embankments in Chilmari, benefiting the families living there.
Firoz Alam, President of the Ulipur Upazila Climate Council and a retired teacher, described three initiatives taken to tackle climate-related challenges. Among them was the rapid repair of a critical road destroyed by floods in Buraburi and Dharanibari unions, carried out with community and administrative support.
Nurunnabi Sarkar, Vice President of the Kurigram District Climate Council, called for special incentives and reduced disparities to help the district cope with climate vulnerabilities.
Jahedul Islam, Divisional Representative of BRAC, highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the organisation: establishing a healthcare centre in Char Narayanpur, constructing “cow sheds” to prevent livestock deaths during floods, piloting a non-electric potato storage facility, and planting hundreds of thousands of trees every year.
Bakhtiar Hossain of the Teesta Bachao, Nodi Bachao movement said river erosion and floods destroy assets worth nearly Tk 1 lakh crore every year in the Teesta region. He called for the implementation of the Teesta Master Plan.
Ayesha Siddiqua, Vice President of Mahila Parishad in Rangpur, stressed the need for awareness campaigns among school and college students. Fakhrul Anam, President of Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SUJAN) in Rangpur, said that although the industrial presence in the region is limited, measures are needed to reduce pollution from brick kilns around the city.
Other speakers included Rezanur Rahman, Senior Coordinator at ESDO; Upazila Coordinator Mrityunjoy Roy; Dipto Talukdar, teacher at Alor Pathshala in Harin Chora Majher Char; senior journalists Nazrul Mridha, Swapan Chowdhury, and Merina Lovely; and Kurigram-based reporters Jahanur Rahman and Sujon Mohanto.
The welcome remarks were delivered by Jahir Rayhan, Prothom Alo’s Rangpur correspondent. The roundtable was moderated by Firoz Choudhury, Assistamt Editor of Prothom Alo.