Victims from climate-hit coastal areas at an event yesterday said they are facing worsening erosion, frequent floods, excessive rainfall, droughts, increased salinity, and fog -- issues that impact women the most.

They also said many men from these areas have had to leave their homes due to a lack of local employment opportunities that often led to not returning, leaving their wives and children abandoned and struggling to survive alone.

The victims shared their experiences at a roundtable discussion titled "Fostering Gender-Sensitive Climate Actions for Marginalised Communities," jointly organized by NETZ Bangladesh and The Daily Star. Dr. Meghna Guhathakurta presented the key note of the event held at The Daily Star Centre.

Fahmida Nasreen, a student from Lalmonirhat, said her parents used to say in the past that floods would occur two or three times a year.

"Now, we experience floods at least six or seven times annually. This year, we have faced floods at least six times already," she said.

She said river erosion in their region has become a severe issue.

Maria Murmu, a middle-aged woman from Dinajpur, said they now struggle regularly with excessive cold, unseasonal rains, and droughts.

"Amid this situation, we can't go fishing. If we try to find other work, there's nothing available, and we end up paying brokers Tk 50 just to get day-labour jobs," she said.

Durga Mandal, a resident of Satkhira, said everything she owned, including her house, was washed away during Cyclone Sidr. "Since then, we have been struggling just to survive, let alone provide an education for my children," she said.

Mamun Hossain Mithu, a youth volunteer from Satkhira, echoed these struggles, saying women in his area face serious health issues, including menstrual and reproductive issues, due to the haphazard cultivation of shrimp and crabs.

Addressing the event as chief guest, Women and Children Affairs Adviser Sharmeen Murshid urged researchers to explore new solutions to address the crises faced by coastal communities.

She emphasised the need to increase advocacy efforts and raise voices on a global level.

"Climate change often causes male partners to leave, leaving women to survive alone with their children and making their economic conditions even more vulnerable," she said.

The adviser advocated for a comprehensive policy on shrimp and crab farming by designating specific areas for cultivation and conservation.

Prof Tania Haque of Dhaka University's Women and Gender Studies Department stressed the importance of identifying specific vulnerabilities of women in coastal areas.

"The climate crisis has placed a double burden on women, worsening their vulnerability in an already challenging situation," she said.

Dilurba Haider, programme specialist for DRR, Climate Change, and Humanitarian Actions at the UN Women's Bangladesh office, advocated for increased women's leadership at the community level.

She also called for a stronger focus on community adaptation over mitigation.

Shahariar Sadat from Centre for Peace and Justice at Brac University highlighted that women lack access to health, education, financial and social services, and justice.

"To address this, we need to invest more in women's health and education and provide psychosocial support for all," he added.

Researcher Pavel Partha from BARCIK emphasised the need to make rehabilitation centres more gender-sensitive.

He also advocated for the inclusion of non-economic losses faced by women in the loss and damage fund, which remains an overlooked area.

Aasha Mehreen Amin, joint editor at The Daily Star, said research is invaluable to the media, as it supports the development of news and narratives on pressing issues.

Max Stille, executive director at NETZ, cautioned that global warming is accelerating rapidly and that by 2050, global temperatures are projected to rise by 2 degrees Celsius.

"Bangladesh, despite contributing little to climate change, remains highly vulnerable, with women and marginalised communities disproportionately affected," he said.

He recommended a gender-sensitive action plan and the use of local conflict-resolution methods.

Tanjim Ferdous, in-charge of NGOs & Foreign Missions at The Daily Star, moderated the event.