Skills in Bangladesh

As a developing country subject to potentially serious damage as a result of climate change, Bangladesh has received significant subsidies from development partners to invest in adaptation and mitigation. Pervasive corruption in the allocation and use of these funds, however, has resulted in the termination of many large investment flows. The impact of this corruption has significantly affected the country’s ability to prepare for the effects of climate change.

This project examined the multiplicity of agencies involved in the allocation, monitoring and implementation of climate change funds to understand how to direct resources more efficiently. It was also concerned with understanding how to utilise well-mobilised grassroots organisations more effectively.

A diverse range of research methods was used for this study, including institutional mapping, stakeholder interviews, Force Field Analysis, Focused Group Discussions, case studies and political economy analysis.

SOAS-ACE is currently undertaking research in Bangladesh and Nigeria, including in the education, health and power sectors, as well as on successful collective action that overthrew a corrupt autocracy. Moving beyond pure research, we are also monitoring the implementation of anti-corruption strategies our research has recommended, such as a strategy to reduce pharmaceutical companies’ overpricing of medicines.

Our partners on this project were: Salahuddin Aminuzzaman, Iftekgar Zaman, Sumaiya Khair (Transparency International Bangladesh); and Muhammad Zakir Hossain Khan (Research Associate).