MANY PLANS, THIN PIPES: THE DELIVERY DEFICIT IN BANGLADESH'S CLIMATE GOVERNANCE

Bangladesh has produced formal adaptation plans earlier than most other least-developed countries. Whether these documents reduce exposure, however, remains largely uncertain. This study examines why vulnerability persists although national climate policy has expanded since 2005. We argue that binding constraints have shifted from knowledge to delivery, which existing research underplays. The design is qualitative; documents supply evidence. We analysed 2009–2026 plans, budgets and audits, and journal articles added context. Coding was thematic, and three ledgers emerged. They track hazards, finance and leakage; fieldwork awaits. Climate-relevant allocations reached 11.03 percent of twenty-five ministries\' budgets in FY2026–27, yet the National Adaptation Plan remains largely unfunded. Monitoring was sparse, and statutory audits effectively ceased after 2015. District shares ignored vulnerability, and corruption reportedly absorbed over half of trust approvals. Visible outputs such as solar streetlights crowded out research and capacity-building, which suggests that countability rather than risk shaped most funding decisions. Ambition grew while institutional delivery stagnated. The three-ledger framework offers a novel, transferable diagnostic for climate governance in Bangladesh and other comparable deltas. Reform should strengthen institutions that make spending traceable, not draft strategies. Priorities include independent audit, open procurement and allocation that follows measured vulnerability. International credibility rises when citizens can verify integrity domestically.