Bangladesh’s climate resilience will be built on the unwavering courage of women, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said on Wednesday.
“Change may not always be in our control, but the struggle for survival is—and it is the women in our families who embody that resilience every day,” she said while addressing the Annual Community of Practices (CoP) Network Convention 2025 – EmPower: Women for Climate Resilient Societies (Phase-II) at Aloki, Dhaka.
Rizwana observed that women in Bangladesh are leading the fight for climate resilience—at home, in theirucommunities, and across disaster-prone regions. Through their strength and adaptability, she said, they have never surrendered to adversity, poverty, or uncertainty.
“Empowering women means ensuring sustainable transformation in our response to climate change,” she added, stressing that true sustainable development can only be achieved when every vulnerable and marginalised person is protected from its impacts.
The adviser called for balancing investments in mega infrastructure projects with increased allocations for communities affected by river erosion and natural disasters. She also emphasised scaling up small, community-based adaptation projects through government and private initiatives, noting that integrating local women’s innovative climate solutions into national planning is the need of the hour.
Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh Nicolas Weeks, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland Diepak Elmer, UN Women Bangladesh Representative Gitanjali Singh, and Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam also attended the event.
Later, Rizwana visited various stalls showcasing innovative local adaptation initiatives.
