Bangladesh’s construction industry, which accounts for nearly 65% of activities carried out by small- and medium-scale (SMSPs) projects employing over 4.5 million workers, has long relied on traditional project management practices, such as manual scheduling and cost-driven decision-making. While these methods have enabled steady infrastructure growth, they remain highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including recurrent floods, cyclones, and prolonged monsoon seasons, which cause an estimated 1.5% annual loss of GDP and disrupt up to 25% of the land area each year. Despite the sector’s economic significance, limited research has explored how traditional project management frameworks intersect with climate-induced risks in small and medium projects, creating a critical gap in knowledge and adaptive strategies. This study reviews studies published between 2005 and 2025, drawing on secondary data from Scopus, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate.
The synthesis indicates that climate hazards consistently lead to delays of 20–30% during flood years, while post-disaster recovery drives 10–25% increases in material costs for cement, bricks, and steel. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation rates in Dhaka have steadily increased, reaching ~463.7 kg/m² in demolition and 90.3 kg/m² in new construction, with recycling rates consistently below 5%. Over time, studies have also highlighted recurring weaknesses in environmental management plans, unsafe material storage, and inadequate drainage systems. More recent findings (2020–2025) demonstrate that green supply chain practices, waste recycling, and green building approaches can reduce waste and carbon emissions; however, adoption remains constrained by limited regulatory enforcement, financial barriers, and low technical capacity among small- and medium-scale projects (SMSPs).
The findings underscore the urgent need for climate-smart project management strategies spanning the period from 2005 to 2025, including resilient scheduling, adaptive drainage planning, sustainable material use, and lightweight digital monitoring tools. Research gaps persist in SMSP-specific climate risk quantification, scalable digital adaptation frameworks, and longitudinal evidence on resilience practices. These insights are intended to guide SMSP contractors, policymakers, and local governments toward more sustainable and climate-resilient construction in Bangladesh.
Keywords: Climate Change, SMSP, C & D Waste, Natural Hazards, and Climate-Smart Strategies.