Photo Exhibition Highlights Women’s Leadership in Coastal Climate Resilience in Khulna

A day-long photography exhibition titled “Voices from the Coast: A Journey of Climate Resilience” was held in Khulna on Saturday, highlighting the leadership, resilience, and adaptation efforts of women living in Bangladesh’s climate-vulnerable coastal regions.

Organized under the UNDP’s Gender-responsive Coastal Adaptation (GCA) Project, with support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Government of Bangladesh, the exhibition was inaugurated at Shaheed Hadis Park in Khulna.

The exhibition features photographs documenting the lives of coastal women and their responses to challenges such as salinity intrusion, cyclones, river erosion, water scarcity, and livelihood insecurity. Through visual storytelling, it showcases their adaptive capacities, alternative livelihood practices, water management initiatives, community leadership, and local resilience efforts.

According to the organizers, women’s contributions to climate adaptation often remain overlooked despite their crucial role in sustaining families and communities in climate-affected areas. The exhibition aims to raise awareness about women-led climate action and the importance of inclusive, community-based adaptation approaches.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Nazrul Islam Monju, Administrator of Khulna City Corporation. Special guests included Suraiya Siddiqua, Deputy Director (Additional Charge) of the Department of Women Affairs; Ibrahim Md. Taimur, Executive Engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering, Khulna; Dr S M Ferdous, Syndicate Member of Khulna Agricultural University; Md. Nazrul Islam, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Khulna; Md Abdul Quayyum, Head of Communications of UNDP Bangladesh; and Md. Abdul Hannan, National Project Manager of the GCA Project, among others.

Around 85 photographs by photographer A.B. Rashid are on display at the exhibition. Alongside the in-person showcase, the event is also being hosted on a virtual platform, enabling broader public access. The Dhaka leg of the exhibition was previously held at Drik Gallery from May 21 to 23.

The Gender-responsive Coastal Adaptation (GCA) Project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Green Climate Fund and the Government of Bangladesh, works to strengthen climate resilience and adaptive capacity in coastal communities, especially among women, by improving access to safe water, livelihoods, and adaptation capacity to address climate-induced salinity intrusion.