Bangladesh can lead in poverty reduction, climate resilience: Prof Robin Burgess

Bangladesh has the potential to emerge as a global pioneer in poverty reduction and climate resilience, setting a new standard for supporting climate-vulnerable communities by enabling them to create sustainable assets and break free from the poverty cycle.

Professor Robin Burgess, a renowned economist from the London School of Economics (LSE), said this during a public lecture titled “Poverty Trap and Climate Resilience: Can Productive Safety Net Deliver?” at BRAC University’s Mohakhali campus on Sunday.

Prof Burgess, who co-founded the International Growth Centre and directs the Economics of Environment and Energy Research Programme at LSE, collaborated with BRAC and the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) for over two decades.

Graduation Model

In his presentation, Prof Burgess explored the transformative potential of the ultra-poor graduation model, emphasising how it fortifies social safety nets to combat poverty and climate adversity.

The model enables impoverished individuals to invest in assets that can fundamentally shift their occupations and improve their livelihoods.

“Occupational change is critical for resilience to climate shocks,” he stated, noting that the program’s reliance on initial investments poses challenges in uncertain conditions.

About the long-term benefits, he said, “The one-off expense of asset creation is cheaper than annual consumption support, especially when accounting for shocks.”

Prof Burgess highlighted the dangers of inaction, warning that without fixed investments, more individuals could fall into poverty traps, ultimately escalating the cost of intervention in the future.

He also recommended introducing weather-specific insurance schemes or conditional loans to secure investments for climate-vulnerable communities.

A Model for Global Adoption

The economist underscored that while poverty reduction has slowed in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, the adverse effects of climate change are intensifying.

Bangladesh, he suggested, could lead by example through innovative approaches like the graduation model. “This model empowers vulnerable communities to break the poverty cycle and could position Bangladesh as a global leader in poverty alleviation,” he said.

Dr. Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, Chairman of the Board of Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID), Dr. Sharif A. Chowdhury, General Manager of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), Dr. Sharmind Neelormi, Professor of Economics at Jahangirnagar University, Dr. Imran Matin and Executive Director of BIGD also spoke on the occasion.

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