ADB promotes climate-smart dev investments in Bangladesh
Published : 28 Nov 2018, 19:05
The government of Bangladesh, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and stakeholders at a dissemination forum on Wednesday discussed tools for designing climate-smart development projects.
Programming Division, Planning Commission of Bangladesh and ADB jointly organised the forum on “Establishing a Climate Risk Screening System for Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into National Development Budgeting Activities” at a city hotel.
The event showcased and discussed the tools designed under an ADB technical assistance “Action on Climate Change in South Asia (TA 8572 REG)”.
Planning Division Senior Secretary M Ziaul Islam, Planning Commission members Mohammad Asif-uz-Zaman and Shamima Nargis, and chief of Programming Division M Sayeedul Haque, among others, attended the event.
ADB Country Director for Bangladesh Manmohan Parkash spoke at the programme as the guest of honour.
About 90 government officials, academics, researchers, development partners, NGOs and civil society members participated in the event.
“Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climate risks,” Manmohan Parkash said, adding that the tools developed with ADB assistance will help make right climate-smart investments, leading to optimal use of public resources.
The project’s central output is a customised climate risk and vulnerability assessment tool and system aimed at guiding government agencies, departments and ministries in incorporating climate change adaptation and mitigation options in project design, according to ADB.
The tool will also help the Planning Commission ensure that public sector investment projects in the Annual Development Programme are resilient to potential damages due to climate change and natural hazards, it said.
The project also pilot-tested the climate risk and vulnerability assessment tool on three agriculture and water resources projects in Barishal, Rajshahi and Sylhet, and conducted trainings for government officials on CRVA and cost-benefit analysis of climate change adaptation.
Source: unb