Irene Vilà Capafons

Photographer and Videographer

Beyond the storm

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Beyond the storm

Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to climate change because of its geographical location: it is a delta in the Bay of Bengal, almost at sea level and bordered by the Himalayan Mountains to the north. As a result, the country continuously faces natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, erosion, and salinisation of water and land. In addition, most of them have worsened in recent years due to the climate crisis. Bangladeshis are constantly forced to start from scratch, and nothing characterizes them more than their abundant resilience and enviable capacity to adapt. The whole world is at risk, and Bangladesh is only a small part of it. It is one of the first countries to suffer from the climate crisis and rising sea levels, but eventually, everyone will be affected.

A project made with Pau de la Calle.

With the support of CLIC Grant and SAJIDA Foundation.

During the rainy season, the r...icult to be prepared for them.

During the rainy season, the river rises and the area around Nurbahar's house is flooded. To get out, he has no choice but to cross the flooded land. Each year, the rains become more erratic and it becomes increasingly difficult to be prepared for them.

Aerial view of Tahirpur during the floods in July 2023.

Mahmud Ali and Monuwara Begum ... have spent the last few days.

Mahmud Ali and Monuwara Begum check the state of their flooded house in Sunamganj. When the heavy rains started, they had to take shelter in a children's school, where they have spent the last few days.

Two children take refuge in a ...e floods to enter the village.

Two children take refuge in a tree after the embankment, which they also used as a staging area, gave way to the water, causing the floods to enter the village.

When they foresee the water co...n more now," he says.

When they foresee the water coming, Alamin moves his shop to higher ground. This significantly affects his financial situation. "The frequency of floods is increasing, something I haven't seen before, and it's increasing even more now," he says.

During the constant flooding, ... about six months of the year.

During the constant flooding, the people of Tahirpur are forced to move around in small wooden boats. The main roads and tracks are underwater for about six months of the year.

Bokul Miah, 27, pictured where...about to disappear completely.

Bokul Miah, 27, pictured where his house used to be. The 'char' where he lived is about to disappear completely.

Selim Hawladar, 48, lost his h...river, he catches at most 1kg.

Selim Hawladar, 48, lost his home, his job, and part of his family when Cyclone Sidr hit the coast of Bangladesh in 2007. He lives mainly by fishing. Ten years ago he used to catch about 10kg of fish a day, now, with the salinization of the river, he catches at most 1kg.

A girl plays in the shanty set...bad railway track in Jamalpur.

A girl plays in the shanty settlement surrounding the old abandoned Bahadurabad railway track in Jamalpur.

During Aid al-Adha or Feast of...erminal in the capital, Dhaka.

During Aid al-Adha or Feast of Sacrifice, one of the most important Islamic holidays and a bank holiday in Bangladesh, migrants from rural areas take the opportunity to return to their places of origin and reconnect with their families. Some three million people do so by boat across the rivers. Pictured here is the port of Sadarghat, the main river terminal in the capital, Dhaka.

Aklima Akhtar, with her father...onsequences of climate change.

Aklima Akhtar, with her father, Noor Islam, and mother, Bilkis Begum, are pictured outside their home in a shanty settlement in Dhaka. They migrate to the city, fleeing the consequences of climate change.

Informal waste pickers are oft... plastic resin in the factory.

Informal waste pickers are often migrant women and children from rural areas with few resources who are forced to work collecting waste to sell it to recycling factories. Much of the waste is taken to the Islambagh neighbourhood, the epicentre of informal recycling and this economic activity. In the picture, three women sort plastic waste that will later be converted into plastic resin in the factory.

A worker in a recycled shoe fa...ome in and go out as new ones.

A worker in a recycled shoe factory in the Lalbagh neighbourhood finishes the final touches on a sandal. The factory consists of a vertical construction where broken sandals come in and go out as new ones.

Fatema Begum, 55, is from Kauk...affected by natural disasters.

Fatema Begum, 55, is from Kaukhali, Barisal, but like the other inhabitants of the settlement, she also lost her house to the floods and had to migrate to Mongla. When she was young, she refused to marry a boy, and he doused her with acid. Today, she is alone. Her parents, children, and husband are dead. And, as she says, "I am left with only the scars of the acid burning my face and body." More than 150,000 climate refugees now live in the city of Mongla. They come mainly from the rural areas most affected by natural disasters.

Before going to school, Mariam...low-lying land in the capital.

Before going to school, Mariam's children finish their homework. Mariam's family migrated to Dhaka from their home village in Galachipa, Barisal, after their house had been destroyed by river erosion. Since then, they live in a shanty settlement on low-lying land in the capital.

Dhaka generates around 10,000 ...dumping are the main culprits.

Dhaka generates around 10,000 metric tonnes of waste per day, of which less than half is formally collected. The city has lost some 30 canals, like the one pictured here, over the past forty years. Construction and massive waste dumping are the main culprits.