Youth engagement in climate change mitigation and adaptation in Bangladesh: Perceptions, practices, barriers, and policy pathways toward SDG 2030

Abstract

Background: Climate change is a major challenge for Bangladesh, one of the countries most affected by it. Youth make up almost 60% of the population and play a key role in driving climate action and adaptation to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. This study looks at how young people view climate issues, their involvement, the barriers they face, and potential policy solutions in Bangladesh. Methods: Using a qualitative exploratory approach, data were collected through 40 in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and interviews with NGO workers and climate activists in Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chattogram. We used reflexive thematic analysis to find common themes in youth awareness, climate action, and structural challenges. Findings: The results show that young people see climate change as a significant national threat. They actively take part in community initiatives like tree planting, waste management, and disaster response efforts. However, their involvement is limited in scale and mostly informal. Major hurdles include financial issues, lack of institutional support, insufficient climate education, and low representation in policy decisions. Conclusion: The study reveals a big gap between youth awareness of climate issues and their participation in climate governance. To harness the potential of young people and speed up progress towards SDG-13 and broader sustainable development in Bangladesh, the findings highlight the need to strengthen their role in climate policy, improve climate education, and create more green job opportunities. Novelty/Originality of this article: The study’s principal novelty lies in advancing the concept of “bounded climate agency” integrating Youth Agency Theory, Participatory Governance, and Climate Justice to explain why, in a highly climate-exposed delta, youth engagement is channelled into adaptation-oriented, institutionally compliant action rather than protest, and how a culturally embedded norm of age-based deference operates as a distinctive governance constraint on youth voice in Bangladesh.