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  • November 2018 (Revised February 2023)
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Bangladesh: Into the Maelstrom

By: Reshmaan Hussam, Sophus A. Reinert and Namrata Arora
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:40
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Abstract

In the fall of 2018, Rohima Begum considered her options as the small island, or “char,” on which her family’s house rested slowly but inescapably eroded into the mighty Brahmaputra River in northern Bangladesh. The country, once unceremoniously dubbed a “basket case” by then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, had since emerged according to many economic metrics. At the same time, it remained faced with a unique set of political, economic, international, and climactic concerns. For while most of the world saw climate change as a future threat to be mitigated, Bangladesh faced the immediate challenge of adaptation. Indeed, “climate refugees” from the country had become the single largest group of immigrants to Europe in 2017, and some observers recognized the country as a proverbial canary in the coalmine. Might Bangladesh’s challenges be owned by the world?

Keywords

Climate Change; Adaptation; Environmental Management; Problems and Challenges; Immigration; Bangladesh

Citation

Hussam, Reshmaan, Sophus A. Reinert, and Namrata Arora. "Bangladesh: Into the Maelstrom." Harvard Business School Case 719-008, November 2018. (Revised February 2023.)
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About The Authors

Reshmaan N. Hussam

Business, Government and the International Economy
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Sophus A. Reinert

Business, Government and the International Economy
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Related Work

    • November 2018 (Revised February 2023)
    • Faculty Research

    Bangladesh: Into the Maelstrom

    By: Reshmaan Hussam, Sophus A. Reinert and Namrata Arora
Related Work
  • Bangladesh: Into the Maelstrom By: Reshmaan Hussam, Sophus A. Reinert and Namrata Arora
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