Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has formed the ‘Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership’ (BCDP) to coordinate with international partners to address the impact of climate change on their global agenda. He said, ‘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 these things 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) on Monday (April 22).
According to a press release of the Press Wing of the Prime Minister’s Office, 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. He said, ‘We are encouraging social movements for afforestation, generating 84,000 volunteers and building multipurpose cyclone shelters. Researchers in Bangladesh have developed saline, flood and drought tolerant rice varieties.
Sheikh Hasina said that ‘tree plantation program will be started in the whole country from next June during the rainy season’ and 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 mentioned the UNFCCC executive secretary who has been in charge for the longest time in Bangladesh and said that he speaks about climate change issues in various international forums. He said, ‘In these forums you can share your experience with world leaders in dealing with the adverse effects of climate change problems to accelerate the movement to solve the climate change problem.’
UNFCCC Executive Secretary also said that other countries can use these experiences of Bangladesh to deal with the effects of climate change in formulating their own adaptation and mitigation plans. He also said, ‘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 Affairs 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 Affairs Dr. Farhina Ahmed was present.
Subject:Sheikh HasinaPrime MinisterClimate change
