Environment and forest minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday requested the country’s development partners to provide more money to the Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund to enhance the country’s capacity to fight the adverse impacts of climate change.
Bangladesh needs $10 billion to take the necessary steps to offset the adverse impacts of climate change, but there is only $170 million available in the BCCRF, which is much too little, he said while briefing Bangladeshi delegates to the Conference of the Parties — COP 18 — to be held in Doha from 26 November to 7 December.
The CCRF organized the briefing at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel.
At the briefing, Hasan said the Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund is an innovative partnership between the government, development partners and the World Bank.
‘Bangladesh is being badly affected by all negative impacts of climate change. If the money, assistance or required technologies are provided to this country, more people will be benefited,’ he said.
European Union’s ambassador William Hanna, who was present at the briefing, praised Bangladesh for its leading role in the climate change issue internationally and globally.
‘We encourage Bangladesh to become a role model as a vulnerable developing country pursuing low-carbon development as well as building resilience,’ he said.
The World Bank’s country director, Ellen Goldstein, presented a paper titled ‘Progress of Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund’ in which she discussed the progress so far made by the BCCRF.
She said the trust fund set up by the development partners for the BCCRF stands at about $170 million at present. Out of this, Denmark contributed $1.2 million, the European Union $37 million, Sweden $13 million, the United Kingdom $95 million, Switzerland $3.4 million, AusAID $7 million and USAID $13 million.
The BCCRF plans to build a total of 61 multipurpose cyclone shelters in 5 districts — Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Barguna, Satkhira and Khulna — and the construction of 37 shelters has already started and is expected to be completed by the end of June 2013.
Moreover, the BCCRF will revive forests on about 17,000 hectares of land and plants trees by the roadside for 1,672km through the participatory afforestation and reforestation project.
Ellen said trees would be planted on around 7,000 hectares to stabilize the land and lessen the impact of cyclones.
Environment secretary Shafiqur Rahman Patwari, Bangladesh Bank’s governor Atiur Rahman, Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation’s chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman, environmental scientist Atiq Rahman and BRAC University’s vice-chancellor Ainun Nishat were present at the briefing.