Youth Leadership and Climate Activism: A Study on Community-Based Environmental Actions in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh, ranked as the seventh most vulnerable country to climate change globally, faces unprecedented environmental challenges that disproportionately affect its youth population. This comprehensive study examines the emergence, evolution, and impact of youth-led climate activism and community-based environmental actions in Bangladesh. Drawing from recent academic literature, organizational reports, and empirical data, this article explores the motivations, strategies, and challenges facing young climate activists in one of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations. The research identifies a critical gap in long-term longitudinal studies on youth participation in environmental movements, particularly in the Global South context. Findings reveal that while youth activism has gained momentum since 2016, systemic barriers related to tokenism, limited policy integration, and socioeconomic disparities continue to constrain the transformative potential of these movements.

Keywords: youth activism, climate justice, Bangladesh, environmental movements, community-based action, climate vulnerability

1. Introduction

Bangladesh stands at the epicenter of the global climate crisis. With approximately 19.4 million children affected by climate change and a population density among the highest globally, the nation faces existential threats from rising sea levels, riverine flooding, tropical cyclones, and extreme weather events (UNICEF, 2019). Between 2000 and 2019, Bangladesh lost 11,450 people, suffered economic losses worth $3.72 billion, and witnessed 185 extreme weather events due to climate change (The Business Standard, 2021).

Against this backdrop of environmental precarity, a new generation of climate activists has emerged. In Bangladesh, where a quarter of the population is aged between 15 and 29, young people are showing a growing interest in activism to tackle global warming and its causes (Dhaka Tribune, 2023). This demographic reality, combined with increasing climate vulnerability, has positioned youth at the forefront of environmental advocacy and community-based action.

However, despite the growing visibility of youth climate activism, no comprehensive academic study has been conducted on this subject in Bangladesh, making it important to understand the character of the environmental movement, the online network, its constituent actors, and their interconnections (ResearchGate, 2014). This article addresses this critical research gap by examining the landscape of youth-led climate activism in Bangladesh, analyzing both its achievements and limitations.

2. Climate Vulnerability Context: Bangladesh's Environmental Crisis

2.1 The Scale of Climate Impact

Bangladesh's geographical and socioeconomic characteristics make it exceptionally vulnerable to climate change. The country is ranked as the seventh extreme disaster risk-prone country in the world according to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 (UNDP, 2021). Around 12 million children affected by climate change live in and around the powerful river systems which flow through Bangladesh and regularly burst their banks, with major flooding of the Brahmaputra River in 2017 inundating at least 480 communities (Climate Reality Project, 2025).

2.2 Climate Migration and Youth Displacement

The human cost of climate change extends beyond immediate disaster impacts. Research shows that Bangladesh has 6 million climate migrants already, a number that could more than double by 2050, with many heading to Dhaka and other major cities where children risk being pushed into dangerous forms of labour and early marriages (UNICEF, n.d.). This climate-induced displacement creates additional vulnerabilities for young people, disrupting education, family structures, and economic opportunities.

2.3 Adaptation Achievements

Despite these challenges, Bangladesh has reduced cyclone-related deaths by 100-fold since 1970 and is recognized as a global leader in climate change adaptation and disaster preparedness (World Bank, 2022). This success story demonstrates the potential for effective community-based interventions and provides a foundation upon which youth activists are building their advocacy work.

3. The Rise of Youth Climate Activism in Bangladesh

3.1 Historical Development and Key Organizations

Youth environmental activism in Bangladesh has evolved significantly over the past two decades. The Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative (BYEI) has, over the last 15 years, empowered young people with consciousness and capacity for climate and environmental actions, engaging academic institutions across 64 districts to sensitize over 1,000,000 youth (BYEI, 2018). This organizational infrastructure has created a foundation for sustained youth engagement in environmental issues.

YouthNet for Climate Justice was the only youth environment network from Bangladesh that joined the climate movement and participated in various programs when Greta Thunberg called for the first climate movement against the risks of climate change (Rahman, 2021). Established in 2016, this network represents a critical juncture in Bangladesh's youth climate movement, connecting local activism to global movements.

3.2 Feminist and Intersectional Approaches

The Bangladesh youth climate movement has increasingly adopted intersectional frameworks that recognize the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities. Jannatul Mouwa, a youth climate activist and founder of BINDU, a youth-based feminist organization in Bangladesh, started the SUNDAY movement for Women's Climate Justice in 2019 and was declared a climate champion by UN Women Bangladesh in 2021 (UN Women, 2022). This feminist approach highlights how climate activism in Bangladesh extends beyond environmental concerns to address gender justice, economic inequality, and social transformation.

3.3 Policy Engagement and Advocacy

Youth activists have increasingly sought direct engagement with policymakers. Bangladesh's young climate activists have voiced specific calls for climate justice, adaptation measures, and a greater role in policy-making, meeting with officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in a dialogue leading up to COP-29 (The Business Standard, 2024). These engagements represent a shift from protest-based activism to institutionalized advocacy, though questions remain about the substantive influence of youth voices in policy formation.

4. Research on Youth Environmental Perceptions and Engagement

4.1 University Student Perspectives

Recent empirical research provides insights into how young Bangladeshis perceive climate change and environmental action. A mixed-method study explored how university students perceive climate change mitigation through analysis of social surveys covering 438 students from first year to master's programs, combined with semi-structured interviews with a subset of students (PLOS Climate, 2024).

Research at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology investigated whether socio-demographic factors influence environmental concerns among university students, recognizing that understanding these concerns is vital for fostering a more inclusive, equitable, and effective environmental response (Frontiers in Climate, 2025). These studies reveal that environmental consciousness among educated youth is substantial, though the translation of awareness into sustained activism faces multiple barriers.

4.2 Environmental Education and SDG Achievement

A bibliometric analysis of 5,713 publications examined how environmental education and youth activism affect the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals, tracing trends across two phases in the current decade (American Journal of Environmental Economics, 2024). This research underscores the global recognition of youth as critical agents in achieving environmental sustainability, though it also highlights the gap between research attention and practical implementation of youth-centered environmental initiatives.

5. Challenges and Critical Perspectives

5.1 The Problem of Tokenism

Despite growing visibility, youth climate activism in Bangladesh faces significant structural limitations. Youth activism has the potential to be a transformative force in Bangladesh's climate response, but only if it moves beyond tokenism and superficial engagement, with calls to amplify voices to make the movement more inclusive and representative of Bangladesh's climate realities (The Business Standard, 2024). This critique suggests that much youth engagement remains performative, lacking the institutional support and resource allocation necessary for sustained impact.

5.2 Socioeconomic Barriers to Participation

While organizations like Youthnet for Climate Justice, established in 2016, have campaigned for the cancellation of coal-based projects, the movement faces challenges in including workers and addressing their concerns (Dhaka Tribune, 2023). This highlights a critical tension within climate activism: the movement remains dominated by educated, urban youth, while rural communities, working-class populations, and those most vulnerable to climate impacts remain underrepresented.

5.3 The Demand for Climate Justice

Young activists in Bangladesh are demanding climate justice for their people who are some of the worst affected in the world by rising extreme weather events, such as cyclones and floods (UNDP, n.d.). This framing of climate change as a justice issue reflects a sophisticated understanding that Bangladesh's vulnerability results not only from geographical factors but also from historical inequities in global carbon emissions. The rhetoric of climate justice positions Bangladeshi youth activists within a broader Global South movement demanding accountability from high-emitting nations.

6. Community-Based Environmental Actions: Case Studies and Approaches

6.1 Grassroots Mobilization and Local Action

Beyond high-profile advocacy, youth activists in Bangladesh have engaged in diverse community-based environmental actions. These include:

Tree plantation campaigns in urban and rural areas to combat deforestation and urban heat islands
Plastic waste management initiatives addressing pollution in rivers and coastal areas
Climate education programs in schools and communities to build environmental literacy
Disaster preparedness training leveraging youth networks to strengthen community resilience
Sustainable agriculture promotion supporting farmers in adopting climate-adaptive practices

These grassroots initiatives demonstrate that youth activism extends beyond protest to encompass practical environmental management and community capacity building.

6.2 Digital Activism and Social Media Mobilization

The role of digital platforms in Bangladesh's youth climate movement warrants particular attention. Social networking sites have become crucial tools for organizing, awareness-raising, and transnational solidarity. Young activists use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to:

Share real-time information about environmental crises
Coordinate collective actions and demonstrations
Connect with international climate movements
Challenge government and corporate environmental policies
Document environmental degradation and climate impacts

This digital dimension of activism allows youth to transcend geographical and institutional barriers, though it also raises questions about digital divides and the potential for "slacktivism" that substitutes online engagement for substantive action.

6.3 Indigenous Environmental Justice Movements

The Phulbari resistance movement, which took place more than a decade ago in Bangladesh, exemplifies how Indigenous peoples frame their claims in mining conflict situations, examining environmental justice concerns through qualitative research (Local Environment, 2022). While not exclusively youth-led, such movements involve significant youth participation and demonstrate intersections between environmental activism, Indigenous rights, and resistance to extractive industries.

7. Methodological Considerations and Research Gaps

7.1 The Longitudinal Study Gap

A critical limitation in understanding youth climate activism in Bangladesh is the absence of long-term longitudinal studies. Most existing research provides snapshots of youth attitudes, organizational structures, or specific campaigns, but lacks sustained examination of:

How youth activists' engagement evolves over time
The long-term impacts of youth-led interventions on policy and community practices
Trajectories of individual activists as they transition from youth to adulthood
Generational shifts in environmental consciousness and activism strategies
The sustainability and institutionalization of youth-led organizations

Addressing this gap requires multi-year research initiatives that track cohorts of young activists, document organizational evolution, and assess long-term outcomes of community-based actions.

7.2 Comparative and Transnational Perspectives

Research on young people's climate activism globally has explored methodological trends and key themes, with 2018 representing a watershed year for youth climate activism internationally (Frontiers in Political Science, 2022). Comparative studies examining how Bangladeshi youth activism relates to movements in other climate-vulnerable nations, or how it differs from activism in high-emitting countries, remain limited. Such research would illuminate the specificities of Bangladeshi youth activism while identifying common patterns and opportunities for transnational solidarity.

7.3 Intersectionality and Inclusion

Research explores youth environmental activism through various lenses, investigating motivations for youth activism and examining how actions take place through numerous modes of participation across hybrid public spaces (Journal of Youth Studies, 2022). Future research should more systematically examine:

Gender dimensions of youth climate activism in Bangladesh
Class and educational disparities in activist participation
Rural versus urban patterns of environmental engagement
The role of religious identity and institutions in shaping environmental values
Disabilities and access barriers to activism

8. Policy Implications and Recommendations

8.1 Institutionalizing Youth Participation

To move beyond tokenism, climate governance structures in Bangladesh must create formal mechanisms for youth participation in decision-making. This includes:

Youth representation in climate planning committees at national, regional, and local levels
Resource allocation specifically designated for youth-led environmental initiatives
Capacity building programs that provide technical skills, funding literacy, and advocacy training
Legal protections for environmental activists and whistleblowers
Educational curriculum reform integrating climate literacy across all levels of schooling

8.2 Addressing Socioeconomic Barriers

Inclusive climate activism requires addressing material barriers that prevent diverse youth participation:

Scholarships and stipends for young activists from marginalized communities
Support for working youth who cannot afford unpaid activism time
Rural youth engagement through decentralized programs and local language resources
Technology access initiatives bridging digital divides in activism participation

8.3 Strengthening Community-Based Approaches

Policy should prioritize community-based environmental actions that reflect local knowledge and priorities:

Funding mechanisms for locally-designed climate adaptation projects
Recognition systems valorizing grassroots innovations and traditional ecological knowledge
Partnership frameworks connecting youth organizations with government agencies and NGOs
Monitoring and evaluation of community-based interventions to document impact and scale successful models

9. Theoretical Frameworks for Understanding Youth Climate Activism

9.1 Environmental Justice and Postcolonial Perspectives

Understanding Bangladeshi youth climate activism requires frameworks that acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices. Bangladesh contributes minimally to global carbon emissions yet suffers disproportionate climate impacts—a reality that shapes activist discourse around responsibility, reparations, and climate debt. Postcolonial environmental justice perspectives illuminate how youth activists challenge not only local environmental degradation but also global power structures that perpetuate vulnerability.

9.2 Youth Agency and Political Socialization

Research examines how youth climate justice activists conceive of activism as education in and through the movement, highlighting the pedagogical dimensions of environmental organizing (British Educational Research Journal, 2024). Youth climate activism serves simultaneously as political action and as a process of political socialization, through which young people develop critical consciousness, organizational skills, and democratic engagement capacities. This dual function suggests that supporting youth activism yields benefits beyond immediate environmental outcomes, strengthening democratic participation more broadly.

10. Conclusion

Youth climate activism in Bangladesh has emerged as a significant social force over the past decade, driven by the urgent reality of climate vulnerability and empowered by global movements for environmental justice. Organizations like BYEI and YouthNet for Climate Justice have mobilized thousands of young people, creating networks of awareness and action across the country. Youth activists have successfully brought climate issues to national policy dialogues, adopted intersectional frameworks addressing gender and social justice, and implemented diverse community-based environmental initiatives.

However, significant challenges remain. The movement continues to face problems of tokenism, with youth voices often solicited for legitimacy but granted limited substantive influence. Socioeconomic barriers restrict participation to relatively privileged segments of youth, leaving the most climate-vulnerable communities underrepresented in activism. The absence of long-term longitudinal research prevents comprehensive understanding of movement evolution, individual activist trajectories, and sustained impacts of youth interventions.

Future research should prioritize multi-year studies tracking cohorts of activists, comparative analyses situating Bangladeshi activism within regional and global movements, and intersectional investigations of participation patterns. Policy must move beyond symbolic youth inclusion to institutionalize meaningful youth participation in climate governance, allocate resources directly to youth-led initiatives, and address structural barriers to diverse youth engagement.

Bangladesh's youth climate activists are not merely inheritors of environmental crisis but active agents shaping responses to it. Their leadership demonstrates that addressing climate change requires not only technical solutions but also the democratic transformation of decision-making structures to center those most affected. As Bangladesh continues navigating climate challenges, the sustained engagement, innovation, and justice demands of its youth movement offer essential pathways toward resilient and equitable futures.

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Author's Note

This article addresses a critical research gap in long-term studies on youth participation in environmental movements in Bangladesh. Future research should prioritize longitudinal methodologies tracking activist cohorts over multiple years, intersectional analyses of participation patterns, and comparative studies situating Bangladeshi youth activism within regional and global contexts. Researchers, policymakers, and civil society organizations are encouraged to collaborate in developing sustained engagement frameworks that move beyond tokenistic youth inclusion toward substantive transformation of climate governance structures.