Experts urge reforms to ensure climate funds reach vulnerable communities
Speakers warned that climate finance often fails to reach the communities most affected by climate change, calling for reforms to make funding more transparent and locally driven.
Climate experts and policymakers today (22 July) called for reforms to Bangladesh's climate finance system, urging the government to adopt a comprehensive implementation plan to ensure climate funds reach the country's most climate-vulnerable communities through a transparent and locally led approach.
Speaking at a national policy dialogue in Dhaka today (22 July), they said Bangladesh should strengthen green financing mechanisms, make better use of international climate funds, including the Green Climate Fund, and improve accountability in climate spending, reads a press release.
The experts also stressed the need to improve access to climate finance for local actors and institutionalise monitoring mechanisms to support locally led climate action.
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Presenting a set of policy recommendations at the dialogue, climate negotiator and Centre for Climate Justice Bangladesh (CCJB) Founder Director Adv M Hafijul Islam Khan said Bangladesh's climate finance system needed to become more equitable, transparent and effective to better support vulnerable communities.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Affairs Dr Saimum Parvez, the chief guest at the event, said protecting the environment was a shared responsibility of the government, civil society and citizens.
He also said the government recognised the need for a comprehensive environmental strategy developed in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Parvez also highlighted the government's three key environmental priorities -- expanding renewable energy, carrying out large-scale tree plantation and afforestation, and restoring canals to improve water management, strengthen flood resilience and revive natural drainage systems.
Diepak Elmer, chargé d'affaires at the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, said climate finance continued to face implementation and coordination challenges, particularly in ensuring resources reached communities most vulnerable to climate change.
He said while climate change was a global challenge, effective adaptation depended on strong national and local action, with solutions designed to meet local needs.
The policy dialogue also featured a panel discussion on Bangladesh's climate finance practices, institutional challenges and ways to strengthen locally led climate action through more inclusive financing mechanisms.
The discussion, moderated by GAIN Country Director Dr Rudaba Khandakar, included representatives from the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust, Centre for Participatory Research and Development, Change Initiative, UN Women, BRAC University and Jahangirnagar University.
The dialogue was organised by HEKS/EPER Bangladesh in collaboration with the Centre for Climate Justice Bangladesh under the Climate Action at Local Level programme, with support from the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh.
