Bangladesh could mobilise $1.4 billion from domestic resources, development partners and international climate funds to address climate-related health risks under its Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP) for 2026–2031, according to a study by BRAC University's Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER).
Released today (17 October) at BRAC Centre in Dhaka, the study outlines funding options for the plan, which requires Tk17,000 crore to tackle extreme heat, climate-sensitive diseases, unsafe water and disruptions to essential healthcare.
Prof Iqbal Kabir, director of the Centre for Climate Change and Public Health, said the funding was needed to implement the plan and mitigate climate change's adverse health effects.
Ainun Nishat, emeritus professor at BRAC University and adviser to C3ER, said climate-related health risks must be integrated into development planning and financing. HNAP should guide investments across health, water and infrastructure, with clear ministerial responsibilities and budget allocations.
International adaptation finance, particularly grants, should support these efforts and protect vulnerable communities.
Domestic and cross-sector funding could cover 53%
The study proposes $380 million from domestic public financing, $360 million from health-related investments in other sectors, $520 million from development partners and $140 million through international climate-finance channels. These are targets, not confirmed commitments.
Domestic funding could come from health budgets, the Annual Development Programme and the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund. Integrating climate resilience into government projects could strengthen healthcare facilities, workforce preparedness and medical supply chains.
Cross-sector investments in drainage, sanitation, safe water and flood-resilient infrastructure could reduce disease risks and maintain access to healthcare, particularly in coastal areas.
Together, domestic and cross-sector funding could cover about 53% of the plan's needs. The study recommends clear accounting to count only attributable health-related spending and prevent double-counting.
Development partners and climate funds offer opportunities.
Development partners could provide $520 million, or about 37% of the requirement. The study identifies opportunities to align programmes of the World Bank, Unicef, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund with HNAP priorities.
Potential areas include resilient healthcare infrastructure, disease surveillance, maternal and child health, nutrition and emergency preparedness. Funding could include concessional loans and programme support, subject to partner agreements and existing commitments.
The Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and Least Developed Countries Fund are also potential sources. Targeted proposals could support disease early-warning systems, heat-health advisories, vulnerability assessments and adaptation in coastal and flood-prone communities.
Ahead of COP31, the roadmap could help Bangladesh present specific investment proposals to development partners and climate-finance institutions. Grants would be particularly valuable for prevention and preparedness measures that protect public health without generating revenue.
Further project preparation would be needed to determine grant amounts and co-financing under the proposed $140 million target while avoiding overlap with other funding sources.
Four priorities account for 69% of investment needs.
Four components account for $966 million, or 69% of HNAP's investment framework: $350 million for resilient, low-carbon infrastructure, technologies and supply chains; $266 million for integrated risk monitoring, early warning and emissions tracking; $210 million for a climate-smart health workforce; and $140 million for leadership and governance.
Proposed measures include upgrading flood- and coastal-risk-prone facilities, installing solar power and strengthening vaccine cold chains to maintain services during disasters. Linking weather data with disease surveillance could improve outbreak preparedness, while training could equip healthcare workers to respond to climate-related health risks.
Clear responsibilities are needed to turn plans into projects
The study recommends conducting climate-risk assessments for new health-sector development projects. It suggests establishing a dedicated taskforce within the health ministry to develop costed interventions. Additionally, it advocates for the inclusion of specific codes in the government's iBAS++ accounting system to effectively track spending related to climate and health.
It also proposes that the Economic Relations Division coordinate development partner financing and climate-fund applications, while the Planning Commission supports climate-health assessments and identifies health-related contributions from cross-sector investments.
Identifying existing resources, securing partner commitments and preparing proposals with clear timelines and measurable health outcomes could help turn the roadmap into funded programmes for climate-vulnerable communities.
Speakers at the launch said Bangladesh had significant opportunities to secure international funding for climate-related health risks but had struggled to mobilise it effectively. They stressed coordination among the government, private sector and non-governmental organisations, as well as blended finance to address challenges in the health sector.
They also called for training doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare workers on climate-related health risks and incorporating the subject into educational curricula.