Thrust on more funds to face climate change impacts
An effective partnership can be built with the development partners and the private sector for sourcing financing to manage climate change
Experts and policymakers at a discussion on Wednesday said Bangladesh is hit hard by the global climate crisis although it has negligible or no contribution to it.
Even though the country has received global appreciation for its remarkable progress in climate-resilient initiatives, the scanty resource base has been limiting adequate drives for adapting and mitigating climate change, they said.
They demanded that adequate fund be granted for climate adaptation and resilience projects for the country.
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They were speaking at a session on "Partnership for Climate Change and its Financing" at the two-day Bangladesh Development Forum 2020 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.
The Economic Relations Division of the finance ministry organised the programme.
Shahab Uddin, minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said, "Given its unique geographic, socioeconomic and physical characteristics, the impacts of climate change such as extreme weather events, flooding, heat and sea-level rise threaten the security of millions of Bangladeshis and pose major challenges to the country's sustainable development."
He hoped that an effective partnership can be built with the development partners and the private sector for sourcing financing to manage climate change.
"The Green Climate Fund is working to face the challenge of climate change. It has a huge responsibility to support a country like Bangladesh as one of the most vulnerable countries," said Javier Manzanares, deputy executive director of the Green Climate Fund.
Kabir Bin Anwar, secretary to Ministry of Water Resources, said, "We have enough plans, projects and quality leadership to face the impact of climate change. Now we need more financial support from development partners."
Among others, Ziaul Hasan, secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prof Kimio Takeya, technical adviser to the president of Jica, Radhika Lal, SDG finance adviser of the UNDP Regional Bureau of Asia Pacific, and Dr Mohammad Musa, executive director of BRAC International were also present at the session.
