Bangladesh taking up long-term programs to tackle climate change impacts: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP) has been created to synchronize with international stakeholders to face the climate change impacts in their global programs.

The BCDP will work with the stakeholders, developed countries, and international organizations and fund programs to mitigate the climate change issues, she said.

The prime minister said this when Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Simon Steele called on her at a bilateral meeting room at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).

In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Press Wing, the prime minister said Bangladesh is taking a long-term program to address the impacts of climate change.

She outlined various adaptation and mitigation initiatives undertaken by the country, including the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), aimed at combating the adverse effects of climate change.

Hasina said that due to the adverse impacts of climate change, Bangladesh is often facing various types of cyclones, heavy rain, and heatwaves.

“We are encouraging social movement for forestation, created 84,000 volunteers, and built multipurpose cyclone shelters,” she said.

She also said researchers in Bangladesh have invented saline, flood, and drought-resilient rice varieties.

She said that from June, next tree plantation programs will be started across the country during the rainy season.

In this connection, she said that her party, Awami League, is the pioneer in this movement.

Simon Steele appreciated the prime minister for creating a climate fund on her own initiative.

He said that Bangladesh is not only working to face the climate change impacts, rather it is taking various types of social programs for adaptation and mitigation.

These matters are obviously examples for the whole world, he said.

He mentioned that PM Hasina is the longest-serving leader of Bangladesh and she attended various international forums where she talked about climate change issues.

“You can share your experiences for facing the adverse impacts of climate change issues with the world leaders in these forums to expedite the movement for the climate change issues,” he said.

He said that other countries could adapt these experiences of Bangladesh to mitigate the impacts of climate change to formulate their own adaptation and mitigation plans.

“Bangladesh is leaving behind its footprints regarding climate change issues across the globe, not only in its own country,” he said.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Principal Secretary Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Farhina Ahmed were present.