Bangladesh has faced numerous climate disasters over the years, such as cyclones, droughts, and floods. Disasters like the 1970 Cyclone Bhola caused up to 500,000 deaths. However, Bangladesh has since reduced cyclone-related mortality by over 100 fold. This article outlines a research initiative to discover how high-risk countries like Bangladesh are able to mitigate disaster-related deaths. One finding was that Bangladesh sets aside a greater portion of its money for the purpose of responding to climate-related issues compared to other developing countries, with over 7% of the country’s national budget being designated for climate change from 2021-2022. Another key effort made by Bangladesh has been increasing monitoring efforts, now having over 50 weather stations and radars, as well as communication efforts with effective targeted text messages and disaster alerts to allow preparation for these disasters. Deaths have been further reduced by an increasing number of female volunteers who aid in evacuation and sheltering procedures. Improvements and creation of new shelters have also reduced mortality by 75% between 1990 and 2015, with these shelters accommodating separate female and male areas as well as areas for animals. However, climate change continues to drastically impact Bangladesh through destroying livelihoods in terms of displacement, economic losses and crop failures which will require additional efforts to prevent and mitigate.
