Bangladesh’s allocation for climate-related health spending has declined in recent years, even as climate-induced health risks continue to rise across the country, according to findings presented at a policy dialogue in Dhaka on Saturday.
The findings were shared at a discussion titled “Climate-Responsive Health Financing and Health System Resilience in Bangladesh,” organised by the Centre for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD) in collaboration with HEKS/EPER and Shushilan at BRAC Centre Inn.
Researchers said climate-relevant allocations within the Health Services Division dropped from 2.74 per cent of its total budget in FY2021-22 to 1.97 per cent in FY2025-26. Over the same period, the health sector’s share of the national climate budget also fell from about 2.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent.
Experts warned that the reduction comes at a time when Bangladesh is increasingly exposed to climate-related health hazards. They noted that less than 1 per cent of funding from the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) has been directed towards health-related projects. Out of 877 projects financed under the trust fund up to 2024, only three were implemented by the Health Services Division.
The study further highlighted that while national policy frameworks such as the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023-2050 and the Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP) estimate significant funding needs for building climate-resilient health systems, actual financing remains heavily project-based and fragmented.
More than 60 per cent of climate-health expenditure is currently concentrated in development projects, while key areas such as disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, workforce development, research and long-term system resilience remain underfunded.
Speakers at the event said this mismatch reflects a widening gap between policy ambitions and financing mechanisms. They called for stronger integration of climate-health priorities into national budgeting and improved coordination among government agencies.
The dialogue also highlighted a separate study on reproductive health challenges faced by women in coastal areas, linking conditions such as irregular menstruation, pregnancy complications and infections to climate-driven factors including salinity intrusion, water scarcity and poor sanitation.
Experts stressed that these impacts should be treated as core climate adaptation challenges requiring dedicated financing and institutional support.
Policy recommendations from the event included improving climate-budget tracking, increasing preparedness funding, and expanding access to domestic climate finance for health system resilience.
