In May 2009, Cyclone Aila devastated Bangladesh and India, killing at least 200 people and ruining the lives and livelihoods of millions.
A decade later, Lamia Mohsin visited a village in Satkhira, Bangladesh, which, along with the other coastal regions of Khulna and Bagerhat, had suffered extensive damage. As an intern conducting fieldwork with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh, she had a conversation with a woman who had lost everything to the cyclone. Despite the adversities she had faced, the woman showed resilience and a spirit of rising from the ashes: this “carried a very positive message”, says Mohsin. “I found it unbelievable to have such positivity when you know that natural calamities are a major part of your life.”
At the time, Mohsin knew she wanted to work in public policy, but had yet to choose a specific direction after receiving a Master’s degree in social sciences. But her trip to the village brought clarity. Having witnessed how extreme weather events like Cyclone Aila can push marginalised communities into further precariousness, Mohsin had discovered the direction she wanted to take.
“This encounter [with the woman] helped shape my commitment towards the affected communities and idea of climate justice, building resilience and translating policies into action,” she says.
Mohsin, 29, is now a reporting and knowledge management associate with UNDP Bangladesh. She has been working with the UNDP in different capacities since 2019. Working with such an influential organisation at an early stage of her career has allowed her to meet people at the highest levels of policymaking, along with stakeholders working on climate adaptation. There has also been recognition of Mohsin’s work with the UNDP on creating climate-resilient livelihood practices for climate-vulnerable communities in Bangladesh, such as promoting salinity-tolerant rice and drought-resistant crops.
Like any young person driven to bring change, Mohsin started out determined and full of hope. She wanted to be heard. But being a young climate activist came with a hidden cost: how others perceived her. “I realised that the interventions by the young people were not being considered seriously,” says Mohsin.
Outgrowing the label of a ‘young voice’
Mohsin’s work in climate policy and adaptation practices led to invitations to appear on climate panels, where she was often the youngest person. As a result, she worked hard to be taken seriously. This included moving to roles within the UNDP where she could directly engage with policy stakeholders and affected communities to gain a better understanding, and to prove her grasp of the issue and be seen as an expert. “I did not want to be ‘youthwashed’. I owe my journey… to my relentless [pursuit] of not being constrained and confined to a certain label,” she says. “I am more than a young voice.”
Mohsin’s new trajectory provided her with a deepened understanding of Bangladesh’s struggle with climate adaptation. As she gained expertise, she started realising some of the challenges – poor financial mechanisms, a lack of accountability and a dearth of policies informed by on-the-ground knowledge.
Climate finance and on-the-ground knowledge are key to adaptation
Bangladesh ranks high on the list of countries vulnerable to climate change impacts. Its geographical location and extreme climate variability means it is prone to cyclones, floods and droughts. Since 2018, at least 12 major cyclones have hit Bangladesh, resulting in a major loss of lives, livelihoods and property. Mohsin feels strongly about the scale of climate-change-induced damage faced by the southern coastal communities she works with. “If people in your country are impacted by floods and cyclones, it also impacts you,” she says.
Countries like Bangladesh are suffering despite being a very small emitterLamia Mohsin
Mohsin’s role at the UNDP sees her meeting with affected communities every other week to understand their experiences and learn how they have been adapting. They have highlighted challenges, such as a lack of access to climate-resilient solutions and a need for disaster preparedness training, and Mohsin has used this knowledge to inform actionable policy frameworks.
Mohsin’s work reflects a growing commitment to justice, equity and inclusivity. These principles have been instrumental in shaping her position as a rising Bangladeshi voice in climate adaptation. She holds developed countries responsible for excluding vulnerable countries like Bangladesh in climate financing mechanisms and policy frameworks. “Global financial commitments for climate adaptation are not enough. Big countries emit… huge amounts, and yet their commitments are so meagre. Countries like Bangladesh are suffering despite being a very small emitter.”
At the core of her work is bridging the gap between local realities and high-level climate negotiations, where local voices are not often reflected. She is currently working in disaster risk management, focused on vulnerable communities in Cox’s Bazar, where the population increase stemming from the influx of Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar has increased climate and infrastructural pressures. Here, Mohsin has been documenting and communicating progress on disaster preparedness and resilience-building initiatives in communities.
Levelling in a field where sexism remains
Having moved beyond the label of a “young voice” through her experience in policy work and grassroots engagement, Mohsin found another obstacle standing in her way: sexism.
“Being a woman from a South Asian background means navigating structural barriers and biases, and having to work twice or thrice [as] hard to be taken seriously,” she notes.
Although more women’s voices are being heard in climate advocacy spaces, representation remains limited at major climate events such as the UN’s annual climate summits. Mohsin observes that decision-making is still dominated by men. “I have found myself in situations where our voices are overlooked in front of our male counterparts,” she says. Mohsin notes that such challenges are similarly faced by women working in activism and other development sectors worldwide. This has strengthened her resolve to “ensure that the voices of women and those who are marginalised are heard in decision-making [processes]”.
Mohsin has worked on projects aimed at strengthening the role of women as leaders of communities working towards climate resilience. At the UNDP, she helped connect women in disaster-prone areas and coastal districts with inclusive finance programmes, enabling around 35,000 women to open bank accounts and invest in climate-adaptive livelihoods such as drought-resistant agriculture. These financial resources increased household income while positioning women as influential decision-makers within their communities, and they were provided leadership training to navigate potential issues.
She hopes this work will help dismantle barriers for the next generation of women. “We need women in critical decision-making [roles] to ensure that our contributions are not just on a superficial level,” she adds.
The way to meaningful youth engagement
Mohsin has also worked on building bridges between different youth climate action groups across South Asia. Between her roles at the UNDP, for a year, she worked as a solutions broker for the Dhaka office of the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), an international organisation engaged in policy activities, research, and provision of technical assistance to the government and private sector. In this role, she led the drafting of the framework for the Youth Adaptation Network, which connects young community leaders advocating for climate adaptation. Mohsin outlined the network’s objectives for youth engagement in climate adaptation. This, along with her personal experiences, gave her insights into how youth engagement can be made more meaningful.
She advises young people working on climate resilience and adaptation to develop their technical knowledge, while also speaking with affected communities to understand the issues they face. “If you do not understand what climate finance is and other nitty-gritty details, you will never be able to outgrow the superficial tag of youth activism,” she says.
Finding hope in moments of despair
Mohsin’s trajectory is part of the rise of a new generation of climate advocates who want their work to be grounded in the values of traditional knowledge, justice and equity. But fighting for a world that is fair and equitable is a draining task, and there have been times when Mohsin felt overwhelmed by disappointment and a sense of futility. She often asked herself: “Is the work that I’m doing not worth anything at all? Am I leaving no impact?”
With time, she overcame these thoughts as she realised how adaptation policies often fail to reflect the realities on the ground. Understanding that disconnect helped her shift her focus toward amplifying local voices and their lived experiences.
“What gives me hope is the resilience and ingenuity I see in the communities I work with,” she says. “Despite facing some of the harshest impacts of climate change, I’ve witnessed people, especially women, taking charge of their futures, whether it’s adopting climate-resilient farming techniques or pushing for policy changes.”
