For someone belonging to the most vulnerable and marginalised communities of Bangladesh, living in regions plagued by constant natural disasters, the above-mentioned concept of"a house" is simply an unobtainable dream. But does that have to be the case?
This number alone reflects the desperate need for climate resilient housing, which could be the key to preventing hundreds of millions worth of property damage. The regions most affected by climate change induced disasters are also amongst the poorest in the country, where a huge number of people live in substandard housing.
So, why is this an unobtainable dream? Firstly, there is a lack of awareness about the existence of feasible climate resilient housing. Concepts and designs for such housing are also not available for the general public who can afford them. However, this scenario can be changed by popularising the concept of climate resilient housing. If there is high demand for microfinance loan packages for such purpose, the sector will probably reconsider providing one since Brac itself is looking for innovative sustainable solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.