Bangladesh: How the People of Bangladesh Live with Climate Change and What Communication Can Do

"People are changing how they live in Bangladesh, more than in any other country surveyed by Climate Asia. To make more money and provide for the next generation they are supplementing their income with other work, growing alternative crops, migrating and changing jobs."

These research results examine climate change perception in Bangladesh, a country historically affected by cyclones and floods and at risk from sea level rises. The study comes from Climate Asia, BBC Media Action's study of people’s everyday experience of climate change. The project surveyed 33,500 people across seven Asian countries - Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Vietnam. The research was conducted from May to August 2012 across 25 districts in each of Bangladesh's seven divisions, "from the char islands and the mangroves of the Sundarbans, to the heart of Dhaka and the beaches of Cox's Bazar. Climate Asia recorded the opinions, insights and needs of this large population, more than 30% of whom live below the economic poverty line."

The report discusses how Bangladeshis are feeling the changes due to climate, what adaptation strategies they are using, and what responsibility they feel for pollution and environmental changes. What this means for communication: "People in Bangladesh are aware of changes in climate and are already starting to act, yet this action needs to be encouraged and built upon. Forty-five per cent of people felt insufficiently informed as to how they could respond. There is a need for communication that encourages response and fosters self-belief. People also want more information on how to take action and develop new skills.

There is a role for communication which builds on the strong sense of community in Bangladesh: encouraging discussion to raise awareness of the challenges, building networks of people to share information, and showcasing examples of good practice that inspire people to act. TV and mobile phones are used regularly by the majority of people, making these good channels of communication; however, face-to-face communication remains very important. Older, educated men who have influence in communities are a particularly good channel for communication as they have higher levels of knowledge about climate change, discuss it more frequently than most and are eager to increase awareness within their community."

Contents include:
1.    Life for Bangladeshis 
2.    Changes in climate
3.    Impacts and responses
4.    Enablers and barriers to action
5.    Communication: enabling action now and in the future
6.    Bringing impacts and action together to understand people in Bangladesh
7.    The media and communication landscape of Bangladesh
8.    Priority audiences
9.    What next?

Communication platforms include: television (soaps and dramas, sports, and news, often watched with neighbours), mobile phones including SMS text messages, radio - though less than TV, newspapers, internet, and the community.

Strategies for reaching specific groups include:

• Fishermen and farmers: "Many farmers and fishermen find it difficult to respond. TV can play a role in inspiring them... by showing examples of fishermen and farmers across the country making changes, such as growing new crops or diversifying livelihoods....Fishermen and farmers need information tailored to their area.....Mobile phone initiatives can deliver highly relevant and localised information pre-selected by the fishermen and farmers themselves. In Bangladesh, mobiles are already being used to provide localised information on agricultural techniques, weather and market prices. A system of interactive voice response, where farmers speak into a mobile phone and get an automated response that relates to their query, could be used to extend the reach of this information beyond literate people....Mobile programmes can increase this co-operation and community engagement by providing the opportunity to exchange contacts with others, so they can share experiences. Despite being a useful method of delivering information, mobile initiatives are most effective when used in combination with other streams of support such as mobile helplines, local 'plant clinics' - where farmers can ask advice about failing crops - and existing NGO [non-governmental organisation] initiatives. Using mobiles in tandem with person-to-person communication provides fishermen and farmers with the opportunity to build knowledge by asking questions. It also increases trust in information that is delivered via text, as it can be verified in person."
• Urbanites: "These people need to be motivated to respond and to feel that it is possible for them to make changes....Examples could include how to plan for disasters. They also need support from experts and people like them who have been successful in making inexpensive changes to their lifestyles and livelihoods. TV programmes could show everyday scenarios and focus on how people can deal with problems, such as what to do when struggling to work in the heat. Larger cities also have lower community co-operation than other areas, so TV programme could demonstrate the benefits of working together and how more can be achieved together than working alone, for instance, working with their community to secure water. The format of the show should be entertaining to get people discussing the programme. It could also have elements of audience interaction to engage people in the topic."
• Barisal division - island inhabitants: "Fifty-seven per cent of Barisal fall into the struggling segment - feeling impact, but facing barriers to response. Sharing examples of how others have been able to respond, via media or through person-to-person communication, could inspire action and give people both ideas on ways to respond and the confidence to do so....Working with NGOs to help them understand the communication and information needs of their audiences could result in more targeted, effective and relevant initiatives for Barisal. There is a real potential for collaboration between these organisations and small media active in the region, for instance, community radio stations that have access to strong local networks."

Climate Asia invites people to share this report, the links to the data portal, the climate change toolkit, and their research tools.