A study report on climate financing has said that a systemic reform of the 'Climate Change Trust Act -2010' and setting outcome-focused allocation criteria of "Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF)" mired in a dismal scenario with significantly lower financing in the drought-prone and Barind areas compared to other climate-stress areas.
"The discriminatory allocation of climate financing in the North-West Barind region justifies that the climate funding decision are arbitrary, and not based on the rationale of climate change impact but rather are choices of dominant policy and political actor," Md Shamsudohha, Chief Executive of Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD) has said at the report launching ceremony at a local hotel on Saturday.
CPRD conducted the study in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, and Kurigram districts with support from HEKS/EPER.
Elmee Tabassum, research officer, adaption and loss and damage, (CPRD) presented the research findings.
However, the study analysed 790 BCCTF projects from FY 2008-2009 to FY 2022-2023 and 262 National Climate Budget-funded projects implemented through 25 ministries and their line agencies in the FY 2022-2023.
The study also found that during FY 2009-2010 to FY 2022-2023, more than 50 percent of BCCTF projects worth BDT 2095.41 crore represented 50.89 percent of project funds spent on infrastructure development.
Explaining the study findings and proposed several recommendations, Md Shamsudohha demands increasing climate budget allocation and ensuring need-based and equitable allocation; development of a separate-standalone adaptation plan for the plain-land indigenous communities and inclusion of this in the NAP.
"The Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions together implemented 143 BCCTF projects, which is half compared to 281 projects in the two coastal divisions. Of the ongoing national climate budget projects, 63 were found under implementation in the drought-prone and Barind areas," quoting the finding of the recent study in Northern-Southern areas he said.
Taking part in the discussion, Dr Fazle Rabbi Sadeque Ahmed, Deputy Managing Director, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) said adaptation plans should be designed for vulnerable groups with similar socio-economic backgrounds, ensuring equitable support in the climate stress areas and climate finance must be integrated across sectors to maximize impact.
Corinne Henchoz Pignani, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh highlighted that infrastructure is important, but most important is the dimension humanity. She emphasized in behavioural change, and localized approaches as there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution.
"True progress in climate action and justice will be achieved when communities own and develop the strategies by incorporating locally led adaptation in the central role. The 'Embassy of Switzerland' and Swiss NGOs with the help of Bangladesh in making the Bangladesh NAP locally led," she said.
Rana Mohammad Sohail, Former MP said that we need an integrated, collective and comprehensive approach to developing projects. Considering the intersection of climate change, vulnerability, human dimension, and political economy, the project selection criteria matrix needs to be reviewed.
Dora Chaudhuri, Country Director of HEKS/EPER, gave the vote of thanks to all present and concluded highlighting that despite having a rich policy orientation and mechanisms, achieving climate resilience remains elusive due to several procedural and systemic challenges.
The ongoing national climate budget allocation needs to be more equitable for the most marginalized and be gender responsive. It fails to address the diverse and complex climate vulnerabilities across locations, she added.
Among others, Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary, Former MP,Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary, MoEFCC, S M Mahbub Alam, Joint Secretary, Road Transport and Highways Division, Md Ziaul Haque, Director, Air Quality Management, Department of Environment, Mirza Shawkat Ali, Director, International Conventions, Department of Environment, Shirin Lira, Programme Manager, Governance, Climate Change and Environment, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, M Zakir Hossain Khan, Chief Executive, Change Initiative, and many other policy stakeholders, senior officials from government bodies, CSOs and development organizations spoke at the event.
