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This paper profiles the vulnerability, risk reduction, and adaptation to climate change of Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi economy is based predominantly on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, though recently it has diversified to include manufacturing. Manufacturing contributes more than agriculture to the national income, steadily increasing its percentage of GDP. Agriculture, however, is still crucial as it supports a large number of people and most other sectors (like energy) or activities depend on it either for processing its products or for servicing it. Overall, climate change is expected to decrease agricultural GDP by 3.1 percent each year—a cumulative $36 billion in lost value-added for the period 2005-2050.

The paper identifies four recent climate trends:

• Observed data indicate that the temperature is generally increasing in the monsoon season (June, July and August).
• Average monsoon-season maximum and minimum temperatures show an increasing trend annually at the rate of 0.05OC and 0.03OC, respectively.
• An increasing trend of about 1°C in May and 0.5°C in November during the 14 year period from 1985 to 1998 has been observed.
• The erratic nature of rainfall and temperature has increased in Bangladesh. Significant increasing trends in the cyclone frequency over the Bay of Bengal during November and May, which are main months for cyclone activity in the Bay of Bengal, have been observed.