PKSF chairman urges implementation of long-term interventions to combat drought in Barind
“It requires implementation of sustainable and long-term interventions to protect the environment, biodiversity, and people of this region,” he said
Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan has called for increased international support to complement the activities funded by the government to address the challenges caused by drought in the country's Barind region.
"It requires implementation of sustainable and long-term interventions to protect the environment, biodiversity, and people of this region," he said at the closing event of a training programme under the Extended Community Climate Change Project-Drought (ECCCP-Drought) at the PKSF Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka on Thursday (23 January).
Zakir also emphasised the importance of building local capacity to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
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PKSF's ECCCP-Drought project, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and supported by the Government of Bangladesh, is being implemented in 14 upazilas of Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, and Rajshahi districts.
The chairman also expressed his hope that such training programmes would contribute to developing the capacity of local communities to deal with climate change fallout more effectively.
PKSF arranged the training on climate change, adaptation and mitigation in two batches from 5-16 January and 19-23 January 2025.
A total of 66 officers from the project-implementing partner organisations received the training.
It focused on climate finance, project proposal development, and field-level project implementation strategies.
At the event, the PKSF chairman also distributed certificates among the participants and urged them to implement the project with efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
The $30 million ECCCP-Drought project, being implemented from 2023 to 2027, seeks to increase resilience of poor and vulnerable people in drought-prone areas, says a PKSF press release.
The key activities of the project include capacity building for government and private institutions, artificial groundwater replenishment, re-excavation of ponds and canals, and the promotion of drought-tolerant crops.
The project is expected to directly benefit 215,000 people. The Barind tract in Bangladesh is facing severe drought caused by climate change.
