Experts urge for strong climate governance, financing capacity

A two-day capacity-building workshop on climate change policy, governance and international climate finance was held in Dhaka, aiming to strengthen the capacity of government officials engaged in climate-related programmes and policymaking.

‎The workshop, titled "Climate Change Policy and Governance: Understanding the Adaptation, Loss and Damage Nexus and Pathways to Access International Finance from Global Funding Mechanism", was held on 21-22 July at the BCCT Conference Room of Ban Bhaban at Mohakhali in the capital.

‎The event was co-organised by the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and ADAMS Foundation with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka, and hosted by the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust (BCCT).

‎The workshop was inaugurated by Mohammad Navid Saifullah, additional secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, while Managing Director (Additional Secretary) of BCCT Gazi Md Waliul Haque presided over the sessions.

‎Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Saimum Parvez attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest. Fredrik Karlsrud, head of administration and chargé d'affaires of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka, was present as the special guest.

‎The first day's technical sessions were conducted by Mirza Shawkat Ali, director (Climate Change and International Convention) at the Department of Environment (DoE); Md Mahmud Hossain, deputy director (Climate Change), DoE; and Dr Fazle Rabbi Sadeque Ahmed, adviser to ICCCAD and adjunct professor at Independent University, Bangladesh.

‎On the second day, sessions were led by Saqib Huq, managing director of ICCCAD; Gazi Md Waliul Haque, managing director of BCCT; and Md Shamsuddoha, chief executive director of the Centre for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD).

‎The workshop focused on improving participants' understanding of climate governance, national climate policies, adaptation strategies, loss and damage financing mechanisms, and pathways to accessing international climate finance.

Discussions also covered Bangladesh's National Framework for Loss and Damage and the operational modalities of the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF).

‎Officials from various ministries and government departments attended the workshop. One of its key outcomes was the preparation of two draft proposals for the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) by participants, applying the knowledge gained during the training.

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‎Speaking at the closing session, Fredrik Karlsrud highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional capacity on climate adaptation, climate finance and loss and damage.

‎He reaffirmed Norway's commitment to supporting international climate finance initiatives and expressed hope that the knowledge gained through the workshop would contribute to more effective climate action in Bangladesh.

Chief guest Dr Saimum Parvez thanked the Royal Norwegian Embassy for supporting the initiative and expressed hope for continued collaboration in future capacity-building programmes on climate change.