The countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) are particularly susceptible to the adverse impacts of climate change due to myriad factors including large coastal areas, densely populated coastlines, and reliance on agriculture. Indeed, global warming has implications for the public health of the region’s staggering population totalling nearly 1.75 billion. The relative prosperity being recorded by the countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is being confronted by multidimensional challenges brought about by climate change, including in public health. This brief examines the role of regional cooperation in mitigating the negative consequences of global warming. It identifies common financial and climate change-related public health challenges currently threatening these countries and inquires into the status of integration of climate change and health into their national-level policies. Furthermore, by analyzing the national health policies of BIMSTEC countries, this brief makes the case for a collaborative approach to implementing clear and sustainable climate action.
Author: Kamruzzaman, Md
Type: Policy Brief
Year: 2019
