Drowning in silence: When acres matter more than life

Along the eroding riverbanks of Mehendiganj, Bangladesh, women face a climate crisis that goes far beyond disappearing land and damaged infrastructure. Behind every statistic are untold stories of maternal health risks, lost children, disrupted education, displacement, and the erosion of dignity and hope. In this SustainEra blog, Rafia Anjum Rimi and Adiba Bintey Kamal bring forward the powerful stories of Jahanara Begum and Parul Khatun, revealing how climate change and systemic inequalities intersect to deepen women's vulnerabilities. Their experiences underscore the urgency of recognizing non-economic loss and damage, strengthening gender-responsive climate policies, and ensuring access to essential healthcare and emergency transportation in remote communities. 💚 Because climate justice is not only about protecting land and livelihoods. It is about protecting lives, dignity, and the losses that numbers cannot capture.