Dhaka: Oxfam has unveiled a Loss and Damage Dashboard, an interactive digital tool designed to help communities report climate-related losses. This innovative platform was piloted in 19 districts from June 2023 to March 2024, documenting 11,579 cases of climate-induced losses, which amounted to Taka 1.35 billion (US$11 million). On average, each affected person experienced a loss of Taka 117,000 (US$954), equating to approximately fifteen months of income for the average Bangladeshi worker.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Oxfam in Bangladesh, in partnership with Oxfam Australia and Novib, and supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), released a report titled "From Ground to Global: The Loss and Damage Dashboard for Climate Equity" during an event in Dhaka. The report highlights the urgent challenge of loss and damage from climate change, a significant issue for countries in the Global South despite their minimal contributions to global emissions.
Bangladesh, which ranks among the top ten most climate-impacted nations globally, incurs an annual loss of US$3 billion, or 1-2% of its GDP, due to climate-related disasters, as reported by the World Bank in 2024. Various unofficial accounts from government and non-government sources suggest that the costs of loss and damage, combined with response measures, could exceed $5 billion annually. However, these figures often overlook slow-onset events such as salinity intrusion and sea-level rise, according to a press release.
To address this data gap, Oxfam in Bangladesh has developed the Loss and Damage Dashboard. This participatory, bottom-up, real-time tool captures and validates both economic and non-economic climate losses. Integrating citizen science, satellite data, and AI-driven validation, it empowers communities and equips policymakers with credible evidence to quantify and visualize climate impacts, thereby advancing global climate justice.
Speaking at the launch event, Nicolas Weeks, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh, emphasized the dashboard's potential: "The Loss and Damage Dashboard shows how local knowledge, backed by scientific evidence, can drive global change. When community voices inform policy, we build stronger climate justice and ensure funding reaches those who need it most."
The report calls for gender-responsive climate finance and resilient health systems. Geospatial analysis identified Cox's Bazar, Kurigram, Satkhira, and Sunamganj as the most affected areas with reported cases. Ashish Damle, Country Director of Oxfam in Bangladesh, remarked, "The Dashboard translates pain into policy. By turning community stories into scientific evidence, Bangladesh is setting a global example of climate leadership. True justice begins with credible data-evidence that can influence finance decisions and hold polluters accountable."
Roufa Khanum, Assistant Director at C3ER, BRAC University, added, "Science alone cannot solve the crisis without people. This dashboard democratizes data, allowing communities to own their stories and be part of solutions. It's an inclusive approach that makes policy more human."
Sharif Jamil, Coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, stated, "For too long, communities facing pollution and floods have been spoken for. Now, they can speak for themselves. This tool empowers local people to record their losses, prove the connection to climate change, and demand action from government and industry."
The report warns that climate-related loss and damage are exacerbating global inequality. Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Bangladesh bear the greatest costs of a crisis they did not cause. Despite the richest 10% of populations accounting for over half of historical emissions, climate finance remains unjust. The Loss and Damage Dashboard seeks to correct this imbalance through verifiable, community-generated data that strengthens Bangladesh's voice in global financing negotiations.
Dr. Mohammad Emran Hasan of Oxfam presented the report at the event, which was moderated by Md Sariful Islam from Oxfam. The gathering brought together leading voices from Bangladesh's climate and development community, including academics, private sector leaders, and youth activists, who reflected on how community-driven data and local innovation can transform global climate negotiations and accountability.