Financial pledge needed to tackle climate change

Tackling the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh requires substantial financial commitment, but the upcoming fiscal year's budget allocation falls short, experts said at a programme today.

Several long-term plans have been formulated to address climate change, including the one hundred-year Delta Plan. However, this is not reflected in the annual budget, they also said.

The remarks were made at a seminar jointly organised by EquityBD, An Organization for Socio-Economic Development (AOSED), and COAST Foundation at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital.

Abul Hasan, project head of Coast Foundation, highlighted the need to prioritise budget allocations for implementing the national strategy on displacement management.

Sharif Jamil, coordinator of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, said while there is budget allocation for many mega projects, there is no provision for assessing and rectifying the environmental damage caused by these projects.

Economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said, "We have many good initiatives for climate change. However, due to the lack of authority, there is no example of anyone being held accountable."