Bangladesh Needs Stronger Support for Children Amid Climate Risks, Speakers Say

Ensuring children in Bangladesh receive proper nutrition, healthcare, protection, education, and a safe environment requires significant investment, institutional support, and coordinated action, according to speakers at a recent policy dialogue. They warned that the escalating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are creating additional risks to children's development, underscoring the need for a comprehensive strategy.

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Investment in early childhood development is not an expense but one of the country’s most important investments for the future.

The dialogue, titled “What to Do for Childhood: Protecting Childhood and the Earth,” highlighted the interconnectedness of protecting children and nature. Speakers stressed that climate change disproportionately affects the youngest, making environmental protection a critical component of child welfare. Women and Children Affairs Minister AZM Zahid Hossain stated that investing in early childhood development is crucial for the nation's future, emphasizing the need for awareness, financing, policy implementation, and strong institutional backing to address global challenges.

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51 percent of girls in Bangladesh marry before adulthood, while in chars, haors and coastal areas, some girls become mothers at the age of 13 or 14, putting their low-birth-weight babies at greater risk.

Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, called for a holistic approach to early childhood development, starting with maternal health and nutrition. She pointed to the critical issue of early marriage and teenage pregnancies in vulnerable areas, urging policymakers to prioritize children's affairs and consider establishing a dedicated Department of Children Affairs. BEN Vice-President Mahmuda Akter presented a keynote paper, identifying the first 1,000 days of a child's life as the most critical period for development. She advocated for increased public and private investment to improve lifelong outcomes through proper nutrition, healthcare, and nurturing environments.

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The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are the most critical period for physical, mental, social and intellectual development.

Mukit Majumder Babu, chairman of Prokriti O Jibon Foundation, linked the protection of children to building a humane society and the protection of nature to ensuring a liveable planet for future generations. The discussions underscored that many families still lack awareness regarding the importance of these issues, highlighting the need for greater public engagement and education.

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Protecting children is essential to building a humane nation, while protecting nature and biodiversity is vital to leaving a liveable planet for future generations.