The pilot adaptation fort in Satkhira district protects 30 million residents from cyclones and extreme heat
Construction has begun on southwest Bangladesh’s first adaptation fortress, a climate-resilient shelter designed to protect communities from cyclones and heatwaves. The Jameel Observatory–Climate Resilience Early Warning System Network announced the initiative, which converts existing school-based cyclone shelters into multi-purpose structures.
The pilot project will be constructed at Baradal Aftab Uddin College School in Baradal Union, Assasuni Sub-District, Satkhira District. A second pilot site has been selected at Satbaria High School in Satbaria Union, Keshabpur Sub-District, Jashore District.
The climate-resilient protection model is the first of its kind in Bangladesh and is intended to serve as a blueprint for infrastructure development across South Asia. If successful, the initiative could be expanded with additional funding to 1,250 adaptation fortresses, providing heatwave relief to half a million of the region’s most vulnerable residents.
Dealing with cyclone and heat threats
Over 30 million people live in southwest Bangladesh, where climate change poses a double threat. Between 2019 and 2021, several hurricanes hit the region, devastating land, homes and entire communities. Hundreds of thousands of people had to flee, agricultural land and drinking water supplies were flooded and contaminated by salt water.
Extreme heat poses a growing threat alongside the threat of cyclones. The United Nations in Bangladesh noted that heat waves in 2024 led to nationwide school closures for two weeks. In some districts, schools remained closed for six to eight weeks due to the combined effects of heatwaves and flooding.
Children are particularly affected by heat stress and are at risk of dehydration and heat stroke. Rising sea levels and increasing extreme weather mean that people in this region are likely to face similar crises in the coming years.
The Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet used its mid-century climate projections and analysis of local human systems to design the adaptation fortress. The approach is designed to use schools that serve as cyclone shelters as refuges during extreme heat events.
Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel on proactive climate response
“The construction of this first pilot adaptation fortress by Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet represents a milestone for Bangladesh and the region,” said Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, founder of Community Jameel. “It lays the foundation for a proactive response to cyclones and heat stress – emergencies that the team has predicted will become common events, endangering the lives of millions of people in Bangladesh. By adapting infrastructure today, we are building the resilience we need for tomorrow.”
The initiative grew out of a visit to Bangladesh by a Community Jameel delegation led by Mohammed Jameel in 2019, during which the team met with BRAC leaders and learned about the challenges posed by climate change to people living in southwest Bangladesh. Community Jameel then joined MIT and co-founded the Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet.
Adaptation Fortresses feature solar power generation and battery backup systems to ensure the accommodation is resilient in the event of extreme heat outages. The sites also have rainwater harvesting capacity and are designed so that excess energy generated when air conditioning is not in use is made available for community use.
Baradal Aftab Uddin College school currently serves as a year-round school and as a cyclone shelter during government-declared emergencies. The building is a central community hub and is within walking distance of the local market, health clinic and union community building.
Dr. Deborah Campbell, executive director of Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet, said Bangladesh is getting hotter and will experience more frequent and severe heatwaves, leaving many people highly vulnerable to heat stress and lacking the resources to adapt. “The Adaptation Fortress initiative will provide protection to the most vulnerable community members in southwest Bangladesh and has the potential to serve as a model for similar proactive climate resilience infrastructure development in Bangladesh and South Asia,” she said.
Professor Elfatih Eltahir, principal research officer at Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet, said Bangladesh has built a vast network of cyclone shelters that have proven effective in protecting vulnerable populations. “For the first time, Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet introduces the concept of heat wave and cyclone protection in southwest Bangladesh,” he said. “This integrated and proactive initiative will significantly improve climate resilience in a region with some of the highest risks from climate change.”
The performance of the pilot fortress will be evaluated based on community surveys during the heat season, operational feedback from the school board, meters of energy production and air conditioning consumption, and hyperlocal weather data. This assessment will inform any follow-up project to modify and expand the initiative in southwest Bangladesh.
The Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet was launched at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in 2022 to transform the climate response by developing the world’s first fully integrated system to predict climate impacts, support proactive decisions and guide interventions. As one of the five flagship projects of MIT’s Climate Grand Challenges, the initiative brings together MIT scientists and humanitarians, including the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab; BRAC; the International Water Management Institute; and Sudan’s Agricultural Research Corporation.
The Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet was selected as an innovation package by the Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale at COP28 in Dubai in 2024. AIM for Scale, chaired by Nobel Prize winner Professor Michael Kremer, seeks partnerships and investments in selected innovation packages.
