UKCDS

Bangladesh and UK scientists team-up to tackle climate change

29 January 2010

Image by Sumaiya Kabir

A high level Bangladeshi science and policy delegation will be visiting the UK the first week ofMarch and a UK delegation has just returned from Dhaka.

The visits are part of a pilot project to identify the extent of UK research collaboration with Bangladesh, a country that is already severely impacted by climate change and will become more vulnerable.

It is clear that there are considerable opportunities for a two-way collaboration – Bangladeshi projects have made noticeable progress in working with rural communities to respond to inherent problems of drought and flooding which are being exacerbated by climate change.

A UK delegation spent one week in Dhaka in January and was particularly impressed by Action Aid’s work with villagers in the drought prone north of the country, where women have taken ownership of the problems facing them.

Through dialogue and with support from their local government they have developed solutions that include installation of irrigation ponds, trialling of different crop varieties and improving water supply and sanitation in the village.

The Bangladesh project came about after a 2007 UKCDS review found that only 2% of UK-funded climate change research projects were geographically and directly relevant to developing countries (see also the Environment Research Funders Forum database). This despite UK scientists having prominent roles in international committees such as the IPCC and being only second to the USA on publishing papers on climate change and development.

So the UKCDS secretariat teamed up with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) whose initial findings have identified less than 10 active researchers and only £1m UK research investment.

Due for completion in mid-April, the pilot will inform UKCDS members on how UK scientists can better partner with developing countries, maximise the value of UK investment in relevant scientific areas and help build capacity and mutual knowledge.

*ESRC is leading the pilot that is also funded by NERC, the Wellcome Trust and DFID.

(Source)