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Laying the Foundations for Climate-Responsive Urban Services in Jashore

Bangladesh
Growth entrepreneurship, Green cities
Ali Mohammad Moyeth, SHOMPRITEE, Bangladesh15.12.2025
Jashore Municipality has initiated a structured planning process to address the growing impact of climate-induced migration on urban services through a three-day Strategic Planning Workshop held from 4–6 December 2025 at BRAC CDM, Rajendrapur. The workshop was organised under Swisscontact’s Shompritee – Towards Locally Led Development for Climate Migrants project. The initiative is jointly funded by the Embassy of Switzerland/the Government of Switzerland and Lokales Wasser/Max Ditting AG, and implemented by Swisscontact Bangladesh.

The workshop brought together 22 participants, including 14 representatives from Jashore Municipality, urban service departments, community engagement actors, SDC, and the Shompritee project team. The platform enabled participants to jointly reflect on the increasing pressure on municipal services caused by climate-affected populations and the limitations faced due to the lack of accurate data on migrant numbers, settlement patterns, needs, and capacities.

The Administrator of Jashore Municipality highlighted the gap between official population figures and the reality on the ground, stressing the challenges this creates for planning and service delivery.
"Officially, Jashore’s population is around 200,000, but in reality, we serve more than 500,000 people. Without accurate municipal data, we do not receive adequate government budget, making it difficult to provide services to such a large population. Despite these limitations, the municipality is continuing its efforts to serve these communities."
Md. Rafiqul Hasan, Administrator, Jashore Municipality
Chief Executive Officer of Jashore Municipality underscored the need for reliable data to ensure inclusive service delivery. 
"To plan effectively, we first need accurate data on climate migrants. This will allow us to stratify the population and design appropriate strategies. At present, municipalities can only provide services to registered citizens, so collecting proper data is the first step toward ensuring inclusive services for everyone."
Syed Morad Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Jashore Municipality

Throughout the three days, participants engaged in a participatory, municipality-led process that included service mapping, gap analysis, visioning exercises, and action-planning sessions. Four priority areas emerged consistently across departments. These priorities reflect both immediate service pressures and longer-term inclusion challenges faced by the municipality.

·       access to safe drinking water and reduction of waterlogging,

·       Education access and inclusion,

·       Basic health care access and service linkages, and

·       Employability and livelihood opportunities for climate-affected populations.

Discussions also highlighted the need for stronger governance and coordination arrangements to support climate adaptation. Participants proposed the establishment of an internal municipal coordination mechanism alongside a broader multi-stakeholder platform involving community representatives, civil society, academia, private sector actors, and development partners.

On the final day, the municipality developed an immediate three-month action plan focusing on awareness campaigns, feasibility studies for water and health service improvements, onboarding of community-based committees, and the initiation of climate migrant mapping and vulnerability assessments. These actions will feed into the development of a longer-term Municipal Adaptation Plan and inform upcoming municipal budget cycles.

The workshop concluded with a shared commitment from municipal leadership and participants to move towards more data-driven, inclusive, and coordinated urban service planning in response to climate-induced migration in Jashore.

2025 - 2027
Bangladesh
Green cities
Shompritee – Towards Locally Led Development for Climate Migrants
Bangladesh ranks as the seventh most climate-vulnerable country, with coastal regions exposed to sea level rise, salinity intrusion, river erosion, and cyclones. These hazards have displaced millions, many of whom face inhumane conditions in urban areas, especially secondary cities.
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