Identifying priority projects for accessing international climate finance a high-level consultation workshop took place at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) recently.
Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance, and the Improved Coordination of International Climate Finance (ICICF) project implemented by GIZ on behalf of the Federal Government of Germany, jointly organized the workshop. The objective of this workshop was to engage relevant stakeholders from sectoral ministries, financial institutions, and the private sector to collectively identify and prioritise climate change project ideas for accessing international climate finance for Bangladesh. The workshop also aimed to create a better understanding within the stakeholders on the role of ERD, in the match-making process of climate change project proposals with international climate funding sources.
Amal Krishna Mandal, Joint Secretary and Wing Chief of Economic Relations Division (ERD), said in his welcome address, “We are not being able to show efficiency in increasing climate finance because it is a difficult and time-consuming process. The ICICF project aims to develop institutional structures, processes, and capacities for increasing access to different climate funds. ”
Md Ruhul Amin Talukder, Additional Secretary at Ministry of Agriculture, said, “Bangladesh is at the front line of at-risk countries from climate change and with agriculture, being one of the most affected sectors. To address this risk, Bangladesh must be provided adequate assistance from international climate funds.”
Principal Advisor of the ICICF project, GIZ, Dr. Firdaus Ara Hussain briefly explained the scope of work of the German technical assistance project to the participants. She said, “The hard-earned economic development of Bangladesh is at risk due to climate change and the existing funding sources will not be sufficient to address the adverse effects of climate change.”
Climate change expert Dr. S.M. Munjurul Hannan Khan began the technical session by giving an overview of the interviews carried out earlier by the project with the relevant stakeholders to discuss priority areas for climate change action in Bangladesh.
