Combating Cholera Caused by Climate Change in Bangladesh

project summary

Bangladesh (Bg) is one of the most hazard prone countries in the world and is expected to be one of the worst affected by Climate Change (CC). Every year, extreme weather events such as flooding, droughts and cyclones have devastating effects, also impacting on water quality and quantity and sanitation infrastructure. As extreme weather events continue to increase with CC, Bg faces a multitude of adverse health, economic, and livelihood consequences.

Among the projected adverse  CC effects in Bg are altered patterns of cholera transmission. Cholera has been endemic in Bg for more than 2000 years and is associated with water and sanitation as well as a number of environmental factors. Consequently, cholera incidence is expected to rise from both environmental responses to CC and less water availability for households.

However, our understanding on how CC impact on cholera and how to mitigate is incomplete. Focusing on water quantity and hygiene, this proposal will apply a new innovative multi-disciplinary methodology to understand CC influence on cholera by identifying the relative risk based on environmental, behavioural, and water resource management factors. We will further investigate community adaptive capacities have in reducing their risk of cholera; how the risk patterns change due to extreme weather events, and how this can help to increase people’s resilience to lessen the burden of the disease both in Bg and other voulnerable areas in low-income countries.