A day in the life of...
Shirin Lira

It's quite a challenge to get to work on time here in Dhaka. I don't live very far from the diplomatic enclave, but I still often need over an hour to commute because I get stuck in traffic. I also have to drop my ten-year-old daughter off at school every morning before work. As we speak, we are experiencing the hottest April in 50 years. The temperatures are up to 41°C, and it is very humid. Fortunately, our office is air conditioned. I drink a lot of water, eat light food and have drastically reduced my outdoor activities. But a million people live on the streets in Dhaka; they are exposed to the heatwave. Many are dehydrated, and the hospitals are packed.

Climate adaptation is one of the SDC’s priority areas in Bangladesh. A key project is the recently commenced GO4IMPact through which Switzerland plans to invest CHF 29 million for climate resilience in Bangladesh over a period of 12 years. We will work in two districts: Naogaon in the north and Satkhira in the south. Both regions are among the most heavily impacted by climate change. In the north-western parts of the country, the last three years were so hot and dry that many rice fields were literally scorched. The farmers sowed seeds, but could not harvest anything. Last year, many committed suicide out of sheer desperation. Ethnic minorities and women are the most affected. The latter are traditionally responsible for providing water for the family. They have to walk long distances to the nearest water source, drink too little in the process and fall ill. We are therefore planning an integrated water management system with the local authorities so that communities have better access to water. We also support those who are most vulnerable to find alternatives to rice cultivation, such as vertical gardening. Vegetables can be grown in recycled containers that are stacked on top of each other. This requires less water and space and strengthens self-sufficiency.

The situation in the south-western part of the country in the Ganges delta is quite different. This region frequently bears the brunt of cyclones. People have learnt to adapt and are already quite climate resilient. I grew up there myself, and my mother and brother still live in the delta. I know families that have had to rebuild their houses 15 times because of cyclone damage. But the situation has now worsened to such an extent that many are no longer able to adapt to the changes. The sea level has risen and floods entire villages. Groundwater sources have become saline, and the water table has plunged so low that people can no longer reach it by boring. Again, it is the women who suffer the most. They catch fingerlings in mangroves and rivers and often stand waist-deep in salt water for hours. This has serious consequences: many of them complain of vaginal or urinary tract infections. Infertility and miscarriages are common, and the women are often rejected by their husbands in such cases. In Satkhira, our focus is on storing rainwater for access to clean drinking water. We are working together with the authorities, Swisscontact and local NGOs to achieve this. My job is also to make sure that the funds actually reach those who are most needy. Unfortunately, that's not always the case today.