Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership formed to face climate change impacts: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has formed Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP) to synchronise with the international stakeholders to face the climate change impacts in their global programmes.

This BCDP will work with the stakeholders, developed countries and international organisations and fund programmes to mitigate the climate change issues, she said.

The Prime Minister said this while executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Simon Steele called on her at a bilateral meeting room at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) here.

According to a release from PM's Press Wing, the she said that Bangladesh is taking long term programmes to tackle the impacts of climate change.

The premier briefly described various adaptation and mitigation programmes of Bangladesh including Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to face the adverse impacts of climate change.

Sheikh Hasina said that due to the adverse impacts of the climate change Bangladesh is often facing various types of cyclones, heavy rain and heat waves.

"We are encouraging social movement for forestation, created 84,000 volunteers and build multipurpose cyclone shelters," she said.

The premier also said that researchers in Bangladesh have invented saline, flood and drought resilient rice varieties.

She said that from June next tree plantation programmes will be started across the country during the rainy season.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said that her Party Awami League is the pioneer in this movement.

The Executive Secretary of UNFCCC appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for creating climate fund on her own initiative.

He said that Bangladesh not only works for facing the climate change impacts, rather it is taking various types of social programmes for adaptation and mitigation.

These matters are obviously examples for the whole world, opined Simon Steele.

He mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a longest serving leader of Bangladesh and she used to attend several of international forums where she talks about the climate change issues.

"You can share your experiences for facing the adverse impacts of climate change issues with the world leaders in these forums to expedite the movement for the climate change issues," he said.

The Executive secretary of UNFCCC said that others couturiers could adapt these experiences of Bangladesh to face the impacts of climate change to formulate their own adaptation and mitigation plans.

"Bangladesh is leaving behind its footprints regarding climate change issues across the globe, not only in its own country," he added.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Principal Secretary Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed were present.