Govt funding research on climate change as highest priority

Md Shahab Uddin, Minister for Environment

Dhaka, February 19: The Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Md. Shahab Uddin said that Bangladesh government has given due considerations on the needs of scientific research on climate change. Whenever Environment ministry gets research proposal from academia and other renowned research organizations for funding from BCCTF, it gives highest considerations on a priority basis. He urged all academics to take more credible scientific research on climate change and ecosystem restorations in the country context so that the government decisions and resource allocations can be backed by scientific knowledge and facts.

Environment Minister said this today virtually as the chief guest in the inaugural session of the First International Conference on Environment "Climate Change and Ecosystem Restoration" arranged by Khulna University.  Begum Habibun Nahar, Deputy Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change was present as the Special Guest whereas  Professor Dr. Mahmood Hossain, Vice Chancellor of Khulna University  Keynote Paper was presented by Professor Emeritus Dr Ainun Nishat.

The environment minister said, the Government has formulated a comprehensive plan, ‘Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan’ and established a national climate finance mechanism, ‘Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund’ from its own resources and allocated $480 million that supports about 800 projects in pursuit of building the country climate resilience. The 10-year plan using the trust fund built more resilient flood defenses and cyclone shelters, strengthened disaster management systems, improved food security through introduction of salinity, drought and flood tolerant crop varieties and funded climate research.

The minister said over the last few years, we have installed more than six million solar home systems in off grid areas of the country ensuring supply of solar electricity to 18 million people. Celebrating the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, we planted more than 10 million tree saplings across the country last years. We updated our Nationally Determined Contribution last year with more ambitious targets of 21.85% or 89.47 million ton of Carbon-di-Oxide emission reduction below business-as-usual level by 2030.

Shahab Uddin said now government is preparing the National Adaptation Plan which will be the main vehicle to address adaptation at the national level. We have already drafted Mujib Climate Change Prosperity Plan with long term vision of shifting our development trajectory from vulnerable to resilience to prosperity where locally led adaptations, ecosystem based approaches, green growth and nature-based solutions are given highest considerations.

PID Handout No: 650