Climate action through sport: A novel methodology in the face of dread, dredging and displacement

The context of our research is the climate crisis, and there is perhaps nowhere this crisis is more apparent than Bangladesh. You can read that Dhaka is the most polluted city in the world, and then you can breathe it in. You can read that climate change is having a massive impact on the region, and then you can try to work at 42 degrees Celsius and 80% humidity. You can read about the interminable river erosion and then you can see half a village tumble down under crumbling banks. All of these and many more were part of a painful yet powerful process of grounding issues in my mind that are more than statistics. The goal of limiting the earth to 1.5-degree warming is not a metaphor and extreme heat and humidity are now a memory for me, not a bullet point in a slide.

Even more powerful was spending many days with people for whom these changes and threats were never metaphors but always part of their daily struggle. For our young participants in Kurigram, the front of mind was the fear of future displacement, and for Dhaka, it was about the struggles after being displaced. It is strangely remarkable to hear imminent dangers discussed with frankness and candour, as one might discuss an inconvenient chore. Particularly in Kurigram, where the key economic driver of dredging for building sand further exacerbates river erosion, the young people consider future troubles inevitable. That is not to say there was no worry in their voices when they spoke of them. On the contrary, when given the time and space to speak freely and with the realisation that someone outside their immediate community was listening, they laid out their deep trepidations. They know what they face, they hope they can adapt, but how to completely avoid the growing dangers and maybe even thrive… it is unclear if anyone has the answers.

Those familiar with climate change and social justice-related challenges will know they are often systemic, with no single solution. But in Dhaka, hearing descriptions from those who had already lived and adapted to so many waves of hardship, I internalised the magnitude and complexity of the problem in a different way. It is vital to uncover the causal drivers to problems, yes, but also to be constant in your resolve in this task, no matter the setbacks. I often forget this. Like many of my generation, I have bouts of eco-anxiety normally triggered by some global temperature threshold being breached. Yet, it is clearly a privilege to be able to worry about the whole planet because my own community is in a relatively stable position.

This consistency and resolve were particularly apparent among the staff of Terre des Hommes (TDH), our local partner organisation who work with vulnerable young people in Dhaka, Kurigram and Cox’s Bazar. While the organisation has a global presence and has developed some best practices over years of operation, I was most struck by how meticulous and energised the local staff were. Furthermore, I observed in them the proactivity and adaptability that can only arise when people are constantly shifted out of their comfort zone. This resilience to setbacks and complications that would cause many in The Global North to fret or complain is always admirable and is very much part of the social fabric in my own country of South Africa.

A key goal of the project was organisational learning and knowledge sharing with TDH. Their local staff served as translators and facilitators during the entirety of both workshops. This worked as a hands-on training course for the staff in this novel methodology but also as a troubleshooting session where we could identify hurdles and resolve them together. We received positive feedback from TDH but are also grateful for their contribution to improving the methodology.

Of course, while TDH works with thousands of children, they would love to do more and help more. In both cities and villages, I often found that the people you can physically see are normally the ones who are doing okay, whereas suffering always seemed nearby but out of sight. While I sat in a comfortable taxi on a high-rise highway, a few times I glanced through a 12th-floor window at a manufacturing line, with worryingly young-looking workers. In such moments, I had a feeling of guilt mixed with sorrow and helplessness. I am unsure of how to fully articulate these feelings or even if I should. Nevertheless, I can sheepishly try by saying that the global economic system, of which I am undoubtedly a beneficiary, is not kind to everyone and everything. But to resist or to try and change it at the scale of my own small sphere of influence quickly feels futile. 

Fortunately, I can learn from those who have worked so much harder for so much longer than me yet have never given in to such feelings. Hope and noble self-sacrifice can be found everywhere. Indeed, it’s impossible to reflect on themes of resilience and proactivity in Bangladesh in 2024 without reference to the change of government and the many people who lost their lives in the hope of a better future. While that was an internal matter and one that the dust has yet to settle on, it is another example of collective action in the face of overwhelming odds. Climate change and its related catastrophes present another daunting challenge and I hope the young voices we recorded during research can act as a reminder of why tackling complex problems is important for all of us.

About the author

Benjamin Mole is a Doctoral Researcher at Loughborough University and producer of the Sustaining Sport podcast.