Associating design thinking approach for achieving good governance in existing climate change adaptation practices in Bangladesh

The integration of design thinking with locally-led climate adaptation represents a novel discourse in Bangladesh. This study examines the intersection of these concepts by engaging key stakeholders involved in various adaptation initiatives in the country’s southwestern region. By doing so, it aims to demonstrate how participatory design methodologies can inform inclusive climate governance in local adaptation contexts.
To explore these dynamics, the research adopts a bottom-up stakeholder engagement approach consisting of three sequential consultative sessions. The first session involves local project beneficiaries, followed by sessions with project managers and then with principal investigators. Using open-ended questions and collaborative exercises, these facilitated sessions encourage the co-creation of context-specific solutions grounded in design thinking principles. They probe stakeholders’ concerns about climate change and gather perspectives on ecological, procedural, and distributive justice, as well as views on governance and transparency in adaptation projects.
Design thinking is operationalized by enabling low-cost iterations of community-driven solutions, empowering affected populations to prototype ideas and provide direct feedback. This approach treats setbacks not as failures but as opportunities for rapid, focused learning and iterative improvement. Facilitated dialogue lies at the core of the process, ensuring that all stakeholder voices are heard and valued. Thus, design thinking extends beyond a traditional focus on product innovation to offer a framework for co-developing grounded solutions that reflect the lived realities of communities facing climate change.
A primary strength of design thinking lies in its emphasis on inclusivity, ensuring that diverse perspectives inform assessments of a project’s desirability, feasibility, and viability. This study introduces design thinking as a means to enhance good governance in locally-led climate adaptation initiatives. In doing so, it contributes to climate governance theory and practice by demonstrating a participatory framework that integrates transparency, justice, and local knowledge into adaptation planning.