STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Climate change could have significant economic consequences for Bangladesh by 2050, with projections indicating a potential annual GDP loss of 2-9 percent, according to a paper presented at a programme yesterday.

The paper also projected a 12-17 percent decline in rice production and a 12-61 percent decline in wheat production, said Mahfuz Kabir, research director at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies.

He also said a third of the country’s power plants may need to relocate over the next decade to avoid flooding.

The event, titled “Unlocking Bangladesh Delta Plan: Aligning National Priorities for a Resilient and Prosperous Future”, was jointly organised by RedOrange, The Daily Star, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh at The Daily Star Centre in Dhaka.

Mahfuz said Bangladesh is one of the world’s most dynamic deltas, facing major risks including cyclones, river erosion, salinity intrusion, and climate-induced migration.

He said the central vision of the Bangladesh Delta Plan is to build a climate-resilient and prosperous delta, covering six ecological hotspots, including the coastal areas, the Barind tract, and the Haor regions.

He proposed several key recommendations, including establishing a High-Level Delta Implementation and Coordination Council under the Prime Minister’s Office, introducing Delta tagging in the Annual Development Programme to track project impacts, and strengthening local government institutions such as city corporations and union parishads to manage local climate challenges.

The government approved the Delta Plan 2100 on September 4, 2018, to secure the country’s water resources and mitigate the potential impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

The plan represents a broad, long-term vision that anticipates changes and identifies “This

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