Where the Water Rises: How Women in Sunamganj Are Reclaiming Health and Dignity Amid a Changing Climate
28 July 2025
Caption: Anima Akhter, 24, stands with her husband Ruhul Amin, 30, a steelworker, and their two children outside their home in Bodipur village, Kurban Nagar Union.
When floodwaters creep into Bodipur village, life does not pause — it adapts. For women like Shakila Akhter, a 24-year-old mother of two, adaptation is not a choice but a matter of survival.
“I was eight months pregnant during the last flood,” Shakila recalls. “We took shelter for three days with only the essentials. Thanks to the training I received, I knew what to carry, how to prepare, and how to protect my family.”
Caption: Shakila Akhter, 24, received a family card through the Climate Resilience Health System and Community Project, helping her access essential reproductive health services for the first time.
Sunamganj, a climate vulnerable district nestled in the heart of the haor wetlands in northeast Bangladesh, is a place of stunning beauty but brutal challenges. Here, floods arrive suddenly and linger long, disrupting life, displacing families and cutting off access to basic health services — particularly sexual and reproductive health care. With over 670,000 women of reproductive age and frequent climate shocks, the district’s women face a silent crisis.
Shakila Begum, a 26-year-old volunteer, empowers women to provide feedback on their health needs. Equipped with just two days of training and an unwavering commitment to women's health, she now supports 75 families in her village. From contraception to maternal emergencies, Shakila is the first point of contact for women who would otherwise have no access to trusted health information.
Caption: UNFPA Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong (in centre) meets with Shakila Begum (right, in green), a 26-year-old volunteer with the Climate Resilience Health System and Community Project in Sunamganj.
“One woman had dangerously high blood pressure just before giving birth,” she recounts. “I advised her family to go to the local hospital, where she safely delivered — completely free of cost.”
Shakila’s efforts are part of the “Partners in Health and Development Climate Resilience Health System and Community” initiative supported by UNFPA in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) since 2022. Through this initiative, women and girls in Sunamganj learn about the links between climate and health — from managing menstrual complications to preparing for childbirth during floods.
The project also offers "family cards," empowering women with information on health facilities and available services. Yet, deep-rooted barriers persist.
Street dramas in unions like Kurban Nagarn are changing that. These performances, attended by hundreds, bring messages of resilience, hygiene, and gender equality into public consciousness. They also open space for difficult conversations. As Amina Akhter, a 24-year-old mother, puts it: “We want to share our problems, especially about our bodies — but we often can’t speak.”
Caption: Villagers gather for an afternoon street drama in Bodipur, Kurban Nagar Union, Sunamganj. As part of the Climate Resilience Health System and Community Project, these performances raise awareness on maternal health, hygiene, disaster preparedness, and child marriage prevention — reaching over 500 community members in one sitting.
With support from health volunteers, Amina delivered her youngest child safely at the hospital. Her husband now accompanies her to community sessions.
“We are learning how to protect our children and prepare for floods,” she says. “Now we share what we know with others.”
Caption: Anima Akhter, 24, proudly introduces her seven-month-old son to UNFPA Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong during a community visit in Bodipur village. With support from a local health worker under the Climate Resilience Health System and Community Project, Anima safely delivered her baby at Sadar Hospital — a first in her family.
Still, challenges remain. In flood-prone villages, over half of deliveries still occur at home. Women cook over smoky fires that worsen indoor heat, risking the health of pregnant mothers. Girls menstruate in secret, ashamed and unsure of what is normal. And for women who try to grow vegetables or sell goods, cultural norms often confine their economic potential.
Shakila Akhter, like many others, is trying to shift that narrative. “I have started using an eco-friendly stove to reduce indoor heat,” she says. “I use family planning tools now — something I never knew about before. I want to choose when I’m ready for another child.”
Her voice is part of a growing wave of community-led change, powered by women, for women — even in the face of floods. Climate resilience starts with women and girls — if they are equipped, included, and heard.
UN entities involved in this initiative
UNFPA
United Nations Population Fund
Goals we are supporting through this initiative
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