Formation of Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership to combat the impact of climate change: Prime Minister

Dhaka, April 22, 2024 (BSS) : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said that Bangladesh has formed the ‘Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership’ (BCDP) to coordinate with international partners to address the impact of climate change in their global agenda. He said that this BCDP will work with various partners, developed countries and international organizations and provide funds for various programs to mitigate the problems of climate change. The Prime Minister said this today during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Simon Shitire at the Bilateral Discussion Room of the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).
According to a press release of the Prime Minister’s Press Wing, the Prime Minister mentioned that Bangladesh is taking a long-term program to combat the effects of climate change. He briefly described the various adaptation and mitigation programs of Bangladesh including the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to combat the adverse effects of climate change. Sheikh Hasina said that due to the adverse effects of climate change, Bangladesh often faces various types of cyclones, heavy rains and heat waves. “We are encouraging social movements for afforestation, generating 84,000 volunteers and building multipurpose cyclone shelters,” he said. Researchers in Bangladesh have developed saline, flood and drought tolerant rice varieties. Sheikh Hasina said that her party, Awami League, is the pioneer of this movement.
UNFCCC Executive Secretary praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for setting up climate fund on her own initiative. He said that Bangladesh is not only working to combat the effects of climate change, but is also undertaking various social programs for adaptation and mitigation. Simon Steele opined that these are clearly examples for the whole world. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the longest-serving leader of Bangladesh, said that she spoke about the issue of climate change in various international forums. He said, ‘In these forums you can share your experience with world leaders to deal with the adverse effects of climate change problems to accelerate the movement to solve the climate change problem.’ The Executive Secretary of UNFCCC said that other countries can use these experiences of Bangladesh to deal with the effects of climate change in preparing their own adaptation and mitigation plans. He added, ‘Bangladesh is leaving its impact on climate change not only in its own country but in the whole world.’
At this time, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Secretary Mohammad Tofajzel Hossain Mia, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwen Lewis and Secretary of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr. Farhina Ahmed was present.