Climate activists demand 3.2pc of GDP as annual climate fund

Global warming. David MCnew via BBC News

Jehangir Hussain

Civil society leaders and climate change experts on Monday demanded setting aside in the annual national budget at least 3.2pc of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to finance the country’s climate projects.

Speaking at a press conference at National Press Club they also demanded reforming the government’s taxation and financial system to stop capital flight for mobilising domestic resources for  climate projects.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST moderated the event while Aminul Hoque of EquityBD in his  keynote paper  raised the demands on behalf of the civil society.

Aminul Hoque said the government has been allocating a portion of the budget for disaster management since its independence.

This money, far from enough to address climate issues, is allocated only to show to the donors, he said.

He claimed that government’s strategic climate plans like Delta Plan 2100, Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan 2030 and National Determined Contribution (NDC) require around 3.2pc of GDP or around Tk1,83,000 crore per year.

But the government allocates much less fund than is needed, he said.

He demanded allocation of 3.2pc of GDP to implement the strategic plans, an integrated national climate budget instead of separate climate funding, not taking foreign loan for climate financing and  mobilisation of domestic resources for climate projects by stopping capital flight.

He demanded taking integrated coastal protection plan on priority to save and develop livelihood for the coastal people.

Ziaul Hoque Mkuta of CSRL pointed out lack of  coherence between the government climate plans like Delta Plan and Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan. He said that budget proposed for 2023-24 revealed these inconsistencies

Md Shamsuddoha of CPRD said that ministries  lack the capacity to utilise funds as they don’t have sector wise plan, the cause of adopting separate climate funds.

He said that the ministries are more interested to take climate funds from International Financial Institutions, because they have little or no accountability and transparency.

Rezaul Karim asked the government to take  integrated coastal development plan.

He called for providing funds for disaster risk reduction, social development through technical education and employment generation for the benefit of coastal population.

The press conference was jointly hosted by Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust Foundation (COAST Foundation), Centre for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD), Centre for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL), Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD), An Organisation for Socio-Economic Development (AOSED), Khulna, Climate Action Network on South Asia-Bangladesh (CANSA-BD) and LEDARS Satkhira.

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