Climate Change & Water Scarcity: Islamul Haque and Mushfiq Mobarak on crafting research based on community needs in Bangladesh

Rising sea levels are already creating intersecting crises in Bangladesh, often described as “the ground zero of climate change." How can social scientists aid in the response?

When economists Islamul Haque and Mushfiq Mobarak began to examine the economic impact of rising salinity levels in coastal areas of Bangladesh, they expected to focus on labor and migration issues among farmers shifting from agriculture to aquaculture. However, when they began to talk to community members, they found a more urgent research need, and pivoted their research to formulate a sustainable response to the scarcity of drinking water in the area.

In this episode of Voices in Development, host Catherine Cheney speaks with Haque and Mobarak about their new project, the role of social science in climate research, and the importance of conducting development research based on the needs on the ground.

Collaborating organizations mentioned in this episode:
BRAC
The International Growth Centre (IGC)
The Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE) 

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