Staff Correspondent

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations today held a national-level dissemination workshop to unveil findings of the ‘Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA)’, highlighting the critical impact of climate change on the vital fisheries and aquaculture of the country.

Held at a city hotel, the workshop featured the comprehensive CRVA’, which provides detailed recommendations to build climate resilience within the fisheries sector, particularly for women and people of the marginalized communities, being affected disproportionately due to environmental changes, said a FAO release today.

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, FAO Representative in Bangladesh Dr Jiaoqun Shi, Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider spoke at the workshop. Director General of the Department of Fisheries Md Zillur Rahman chaired it.

Speaking at the occasion, Adviser Farida Akhter said, "Climate change is already impacting our fisheries and aquaculture sectors, posing serious threats to livelihoods.”

The CRVA report highlights these risks and provides essential data to guide Bangladesh’s adaptation efforts, she said, adding, “We must ensure that local communities, especially women, are actively involved in shaping solutions to these challenges.”

Mentioning that the fisheries and aquaculture sectors of Bangladesh face increasing risks from climate change and threatening the livelihoods of millions, Dr Jiaoqun Shi said, “FAO team has shared the findings from CRVA report today which provides critical insights into these risks, particularly for vulnerable communities.”

He said FAO would continue to support the Bangladesh government to act on the mentioned recommendations, to protect fisheries and empower the most affected, especially women and marginalized groups, for a better life, leaving no one behind.

Noting that the fisheries and aquaculture are the integral parts of Bangladesh's economy, the speakers said it is contributing 2.53% to national GDP and 22.26% to agricultural GDP as well.

This vital sector supports the livelihoods of over 12% of the country's nearly 17 crore people while also accounting for approximately 0.80% of national export earnings and providing about 60% of total daily animal protein intake, they revealed.

However, climate change poses significant threats to this essential industry, necessitating immediate action and resilience-building efforts, the experts opined, adding that the assessment highlights the disproportionate effects on male and female fishers, underlining the urgent need for targeted adaptation strategies.

The initiative is done under the Community-based Climate Resilient Fisheries and Aquaculture Development in Bangladesh that is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The government of Bangladesh, in collaboration with FAO, is taking crucial steps to make it easier for vulnerable fishing communities to tackle climate change impacts through the development of their skills and capacities by introducing climate resilient fisheries and aquaculture technologies, it mentioned.

The recommendations focus on the "Four Betters" – Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and Better Life – ensuring sustainable growth and climate resilience in fisheries and aquaculture.

Moving forward, these findings will be shared with policymakers and stakeholders to develop concrete action plans, ensuring that the sector adapts effectively to the challenges posed by climate change, the FAO release added.