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Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Farhina Ahmed urged developed countries to fulfill their commitments by providing the necessary resources and technology to implement climate adaptation plans. He called for collective action to tackle climate challenges and protect vulnerable communities.
The Environment Secretary said this in the official closing ceremony of the National Adaptation Plan Expo-2024 held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka on Thursday (April 25).
The Environment Secretary stressed the need to address real issues at the grassroots level, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), where access to finance to implement NAP is still challenging. NAP Expo is a platform to assess the progress of NAP and strategize going forward. He proposed organizing an event at COP-29 to widely disseminate the results of the NAP Expo.
Dr. Farhina said the NAP Expo discussed transformative adaptation through national planning, emphasized the need for a new approach to adaptation planning and ensuring security of funds from various sources. The expo served as a platform for sharing experiences, fostering partnerships to enhance best practices and global adaptation efforts. Overall the event emphasized Bangladesh's role as a leader in adaptation planning and provided insights into effective strategies to combat the impacts of climate change.
Manager of the Department of Adaptation of the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Paul Desanker praised Bangladesh's resilience in the face of climate change, citing initiatives such as cyclone shelters and the Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership. Acknowledging challenges such as financial constraints in implementing the NAP, with calls for innovative financing and cross-border cooperation.
He said the involvement of public-private stakeholders and local communities is essential for the success of NAP. Data, active measurement and inclusion are highlighted for effective adaptation strategies. He called for collective action to implement NAP on an urgent basis. Thank participants for their contributions and urge them to act quickly.
Adao Soares Barbosa, Vice-Chair of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, also spoke at the closing session. Lubna Yasmin, joint secretary of the ministry conducted the closing session.
