CLIMATE CHANGE-A SECURITY THREAT FOR BANGLADESH: THE ROLE OF ARMED FORCES

This article frames climate change as a multidimensional security challenge for Bangladesh, mapping pathways from sea-level rise, cyclones, salinity intrusion, and displacement to humanitarian crises and instability. It proposes a practical role for the armed forces in preparedness, response, and resilience building while respecting civilian primacy. The abstract highlights capability requirements—early warning integration, engineering and logistics units for rapid deployment, and interoperable communications—and underscores the importance of joint planning with civilian agencies for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation.

The body synthesizes climate hazard projections with vulnerability hot spots in coastal and riverine districts, drawing lessons from recent cyclones. It outlines force contributions across the disaster cycle: pre-positioning supplies, reinforcing embankments, supporting evacuations, and restoring critical lifelines. A readiness section discusses training, modular force packages, amphibious mobility, and field hospitals. Civil–military coordination is emphasized through incident command systems, table-top and field exercises, and shared data platforms. The paper also addresses non-traditional missions such as environmental monitoring, protecting critical infrastructure, and aiding resilient reconstruction. It recommends investment in dual-use assets—high-water vehicles, landing craft, and mobile water purification—plus green practices in bases to reduce operational footprints. Finally, it proposes metrics for measuring readiness and community trust, arguing that climate-smart security planning enhances deterrence, legitimacy, and national resilience.