Session 7.2

Dr. Md. Golam Rabbani

BIO

Dr. Md. Golam Rabbani has been serving as the Head of Climate Bridge Fund (CBF) Secretariat at BRAC since November 2019. With over two decades of dedicated work in the field of environment and climate change, he has established himself as a leading expert in areas such as climate risk and vulnerability assessment, adaptation and loss and damages related to climate change. Prior to his role at CBF, Dr. Rabbani held senior research positions at the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) during 2003-2019. Throughout his career, Dr. Rabbani has played a vital role as a key team member in the development of several national-level policy documents for Bangladesh. These include, but are not limited to, the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (2005), Second National Communication (2012), and the Adaptation Chapter for the Third National Communication of Bangladesh. Furthermore, he has made noteworthy contributions to various nationally and internationally recognized scientific publications. Dr. Golam Rabbani earned a Ph.D. in Climate Change Adaptation. He also holds a Master of Science and Technology (M.Sc.Tech) in Environmental Science from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia in addition to M.Sc. in Fisheries and B.Sc. (Honours) in Zoology from the University of Dhaka.

ABSTRACT

The CBF is an endowment fund with two windows - Climate Change and Emergency Response. Under Climate Change, CBF invested the capital amount in government treasury bonds. Projects are being supported through the annual income. Financial sustainability is ensured through the capital grant amount remaining untouched.

CBF operates through a robust and transparent funding mechanism designed not only to deliver meaningful outcomes on the ground but also to foster innovation, learning, and knowledge exchange across its network of Implementing Partners (IPs). In the face of evolving climate risks, CBF offers a scalable and impactful model for advancing long term resilience, equity, and inclusive urban development.

CBF mainly targets support for communities that have been displaced or are at risk of displacement due to climate shocks. It addresses economic and non-economic actions related to adaptation and loss and damage. Funding supports activities such as developing new livelihoods, climate-resilient WASH services, psychological counselling, constructing climate-resilient infrastructure like raised walkways, drainage systems, and housing, improving solid waste management systems, and providing health and educational services.

CBF’s endowment model offers strong potential to deliver sustained and scalable climate adaptation outcomes. However, realising its full impact depends on expanding the fund portfolio. The current institutional structure of the fund, being placed within an NGO limit the Fund’s ability to mobilise new and additional resources at scale under the trust fund structure. Addressing these constraints will be critical to unlocking the model’s long-term effectiveness and sustainability.

Dr. Mst Umme Habiba Fahmina Karim

BIO

Dr. Mst Umme Habiba Fahmina Karim, Lecturer at the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Thailand, has extensive experience working with marginalized communities in conflict-affected and disaster-prone contexts. Her research interests span migration, human rights, children’s rights, climate justice, entrepreneurship, and development.

ABSTRACT

I propose contributing to the panel by discussing the structural, legal, and institutional barriers that hinder the protection of climate-induced displaced persons (CIDPs) in Bangladesh. I will argue that Bangladesh’s governance response to climate displacement remains “trapped in transition”: the threat is acknowledged, but the absence of legal recognition, institutional mandate, and coordinated policy responses leaves millions unprotected. My intervention will bridge the debates on climate change, human rights, and migration governance, offering insights with both national and global relevance.

Rationale and relevance: Bangladesh, a low-lying deltaic state at the confluence of major rivers and the Bay of Bengal, is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. Chronic hazards floods, cyclones, riverbank erosion, and salinity intrusion, drive repeated displacement. Tropical cyclones alone cost the country USD 1 billion annually, and in 2024, 2.4 million people were internally displaced by 134 disasters. The World Risk Index (2023) ranked Bangladesh ninth globally, projecting that by 2050, 17% of its land could be submerged, 30% of agricultural land lost, and 13.3 million people newly displaced. Sea-level rise is already triggering rural-to-urban migration, concentrating displaced populations in informal city settlements. This is not just an environmental or humanitarian issue but a governance and justice challenge. I will discuss how existing frameworks respond to climate hazards yet fail to address displacement effectively.

Core argument: Bangladesh lacks a comprehensive framework to recognize and support climate-induced displaced persons (CIDPs). Existing strategies address environmental degradation, disaster response, and poverty, but fail to provide durable solutions for displacement. Four structural exclusions persist: Legal invisibility – CIDPs are not recognized in law, leaving them without rights; Bangladesh has not translated the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement into binding legislation. Policy disjuncture – Adaptation, disaster response, and development planning remain siloed. Institutional fragmentation – Multiple ministries share responsibility, but without clear mandates, coordination, or budgets. Urban marginalization – Displaced people end up in informal settlements, lacking secure tenure, services, and mobility opportunities.

Evidence and illustrations: The absence of legal recognition is particularly stark in Bangladesh’s core legislative and policy frameworks: The Disaster Management Act 2012 has no provisions for displacement management or reintegration. Land policies do not account for “climate-induced landlessness.” Key strategic documents— Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2009, National Disaster Management Plan 2010, Standing Orders on Disaster 2019, Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 2009, and the Seventh Five-Year Plan 2016–2020, mention migration in passing, but with no budget allocations, programmatic follow-up, or mechanisms for durable solutions. Institutional fragmentation worsens the legal vacuum, as the ministries responsible for environment, disaster management, and local governance lack clear mandates, plans, or budgets for long-term displacement. The absence of disaggregated data further hinders targeted interventions and funding. These gaps are deeply gendered, with women, girls, and other vulnerable groups facing heightened risks of violence, health challenges, and exclusion, while policies remain largely gender-blind.

Critical perspective: My intervention will argue that adaptation successes in Bangladesh cannot address structural, protracted, and often irreversible climate displacement. Without legal recognition, CIDPs remain excluded from rehabilitation, land redistribution, social protection, and urban development schemes. The country is therefore “trapped in transition”: Acknowledging climate displacement as a critical issue; Failing to legally recognize CIDPs; Lacking institutional mandates, financial frameworks, and political will for long-term solutions.

Why this discussion matters for the panel: Protecting climate-induced migrants is an urgent challenge at the nexus of climate justice, migration governance, and human rights. Bangladesh exemplifies the risks of recognizing the crisis without creating legal and institutional solutions. My intervention will enrich the panel with insights relevant to: Governments designing national displacement strategies; International agencies advocating for stronger global protection norms; Civil society organizations working on climate justice; and Academics advancing interdisciplinary approaches to displacement governance.

Lutfor Rahman

BIO

Dynamic and results-driven climate change professional with over five years of experience in climate adaptation, displacement research, facilitation, and policy advocacy. Proven expertise in designing and managing multi-stakeholder projects focused on climate resilience, climate mobility, and community-based adaptation. Skilled in integrating gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) principles and locally led adaptation (LLA) approaches across research, capacity-building, and policy processes. Demonstrated leadership in project management, stakeholder engagement, and the development of actionable knowledge products for government, international donors, and development partners. Strong track record of contributing to national and global policy dialogues, including UNFCCC processes and CLARE regional platforms.

ABSTRACT

Background

Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, facing repeated displacements due to riverbank erosion, cyclones, and salinity intrusion. Displaced populations often lose not only their homes but also their land, creating long-term livelihood insecurity and cycles of vulnerability. Land is more than a physical resource—it represents dignity, security, and adaptive capacity. Denied access to land deepens poverty, perpetuates marginalization, and contributes to loss and damage.

This proposal builds on recent action research examining the intersection of climate-induced displacement, land access, and livelihoods, highlighting critical policy gaps and lived realities in Bangladesh.

Objectives

The research pursued four objectives: to explore how displacement disrupts access to land and livelihoods; to identify bureaucratic, legal, and institutional barriers preventing displaced people from reclaiming land; to document how unplanned or insecure settlements drive secondary displacement; and to provide evidence to inform land governance and contribute to the global loss and damage debate.

Methods

The study employed a mixed-methods approach, including: quantitative surveys of displaced households on land access and livelihoods; qualitative interviews and FGDs with displaced persons and policymakers to capture lived experiences; and a policy and legal review of land settlement frameworks and their implementation.

Key Findings

The key findings include:

• Knowledge gaps: Most displaced households lack awareness of land rights and entitlements. 

• Bureaucratic barriers: Complex and disputed processes hinder access to khas (public) land. 

• Secondary displacement: Insecure tenure often forces families to relocate again, deepening vulnerability. 

• Marginalization: Women, persons with disabilities, and youth are excluded from decision-making, compounding risks. 

• Loss and damage linkage: Landlessness translates into economic losses, psychosocial harm, and intergenerational insecurity.

Symposium Relevance

This study provides grounded evidence from Bangladesh, a climate hotspot. It offers policy-relevant insights connecting land access to the global loss and damage agenda. It also presents an action research model co-designed with communities and stakeholders, offering pathways for participatory governance.

Proposed Contribution

At the Symposium, I propose to present findings emphasizing displaced community voices, share visual stakeholder maps of barriers and enablers to land access, and highlight policy recommendations for inclusive land governance.

Outcomes

By engaging at the Symposium, this work aims to share evidence to influence global debates on climate migration and land rights, draw lessons from other countries facing similar governance challenges, and strengthen collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to integrate displacement into adaptation and loss & damage frameworks.

Conclusion

Addressing land access for displaced populations is central to climate justice. This action research amplifies the lived experiences of the displaced and offers practical entry points for policy and governance reform. Presenting it at the Symposium will contribute to shaping fairer and more inclusive responses to climate-induced migration.