Bangladesh needs $1.4 billion, or about Tk17,000 crore, over the next five years to protect its healthcare system from climate change, with nearly half the funding dependent on development partners and international climate funds, according to a new study.
The financing framework, unveiled by BRAC University’s Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) at BRAC Centre in Dhaka on Saturday, identifies four potential funding sources for the National Health Adaptation Plan. The estimates are financing targets, not confirmed commitments.
Domestic government budgets and health-related investments in other sectors could provide $740 million, or about 53 per cent of the total, while the remaining $660 million would come from international sources.
The proposed funding comprises $380 million from government sources, $360 million from other sectors, $520 million from development partners and $140 million from international climate funds.
Bangladesh faces growing health risks from extreme heat, climate-sensitive diseases, unsafe water and disruptions to medical services during floods and other disasters.
Iqbal Kabir, director of the Climate Change and Health Promotion Unit at the Health Services Division, said the $1.4 billion would finance the adaptation plan’s activities over five years.
C3ER adviser and Professor Emeritus Ainun Nishat said climate-related health risks must be reflected in development planning, with clear responsibilities and budget allocations across ministries for health, water and infrastructure. He also emphasised international adaptation grants to protect vulnerable communities.
The study identifies the health-sector budget, Annual Development Programme and Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund as potential domestic financing sources.
Existing development projects could support healthcare facilities, medical supply chains and workforce training, while investment in drainage, sanitation, safe water in coastal areas and flood-resistant infrastructure could reduce disease risks and keep health services operational during disasters.
However, only the health-related portion of spending by other sectors should count towards the adaptation plan to prevent double-counting.
Roufa Khanum, assistant director at C3ER, urged aligning existing government and development-partner programmes with the plan rather than waiting for new project financing. She also called for stronger inter-ministerial coordination and separate identification of climate-health expenditure in the national budget.
Potential development-partner financing includes opportunities to align existing programmes supported by the World Bank, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Food Programme, World Health Organization and United Nations Population Fund with the plan’s priorities.
International climate financing could be sought through the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and Least Developed Countries Fund.
Securing these resources would require specific project proposals, coordination with financing institutions and transparent expenditure tracking. Experts stressed the importance of grants for disease prevention and early preparedness, which do not generate direct financial returns.
Four priority areas would require $966 million, or nearly 69 per cent of the proposed financing.
Climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure, technology and supply chains would need $350 million, followed by $266 million for integrated risk surveillance and early warning systems, $210 million for strengthening the health workforce and $140 million for leadership and governance.
Proposed investments include upgrading healthcare facilities exposed to flooding and coastal hazards, installing solar power systems, strengthening vaccine cold chains and linking disease surveillance with weather information.
The plan also calls for training doctors, nurses and other health workers to manage climate-related risks and maintain essential services during disasters.
Kazi Shahjahan, joint secretary at the Economic Relations Division (ERD), said financial pledges alone were insufficient without monitoring actual disbursement, allocation, expenditure and project benefits.
He called for accountability throughout implementation and closer coordination among government agencies, development partners, businesses, non-governmental organisations and research institutions.
Kazi Amdadul Hoque, senior director for strategic planning and head of climate action at Friendship, urged scrutiny of each financing component, including funding sources, allocations, investment risks and expected benefits.
He also called for coordination among government budgets, banks and private investors, alongside safeguards against counting the same funding more than once.
The study recommends a dedicated task force under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, climate-risk assessments for new health-sector projects and a separate code in the government’s Integrated Budget and Accounting System (iBAS++) to track climate-health spending.
It proposes that the ERD coordinate development-partner financing and applications to international climate funds, while the Planning Commission identifies health-related investment across other sectors.
The framework also calls for project proposals with clear timelines and measurable health outcomes, linking expenditure to improvements in healthcare preparedness and resilience.
Its implementation will depend on securing the proposed financing and ensuring that investments deliver measurable protection for communities vulnerable to climate-related health risks.
