Bangladesh Delta: Architecture for Impermanence and Resilience

Life in the Bangladesh Delta is shaped by water that never stays still. Along the Jamuna, Padma, and Meghna rivers, entire communities live with the constant threat of floods and erosion, as land appears and disappears with the seasons. In this episode, we explore how people adapt to a landscape defined by movement, from teardrop-shaped earthen plinths designed to let floodwaters flow past, to hospital ships and simple boats that keep communities connected. Focusing on the work of architect Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury and the nonprofit Friendship, the story reveals how resilience in the delta is built not through grand defenses, but through designs that accept change—and learn to live with it.https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/04/12/bangladeshs-riverine-villages-are-benefiting-from-clever-design