Bangladesh - climate change canvas

Students at Charupeeth School of Fine Art,
Jessore, south-western Bangladesh.

This is called Flood in Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra, Ganges and other massive rivers come together in Bangladesh. They form the largest delta in the world, as they reach the Bay of Bengal. Every year, cyclones and monsoon rains cause these rivers burst their banks. This canvas depicts how communities have to cope whenever the floods come.

The painting was first used for an Oxfam International campaign that was publicised by Jugantor – a major national newspaper. Readers sent more than 80,000 postcards to the G8 embassies in Bangladesh, calling for them to “Stop Harming, Start Helping”.

Artists from around the world have painted canvases illustrating the human impact of climate change in their countries. Sixteen of these canvases are being exhibited at the UN Climate Negotiations in Poznan, Poland, from December 1, 2008.

Find out how you can help stop climate change now: www.oxfam.org/climatechange.

Credit: Piotr Fajfer / Oxfam International