Fighting climate change: Bangladesh praised at GCA meeting

Global leaders praised Bangladesh government at the board meeting of Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) in Paris on Thursday for commitment and measures to fight adverse impacts of climate change.

They also lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen for successfully holding GCA's last meeting in Dhaka.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen attended this year's GCA board meeting on Thursday.

The foreign minister urged the global community to lay special focus on the South Asian region and allocate funds and programmes for its extreme vulnerabilities to climate change.

He also emphasised the need for technology transfer, recognition to local-based solutions, and innovation and public awareness for combating the climate change menace.

Abdul Momen also gave an account of the activities Bangladesh has undertaken to adapt to the harmful impacts of climate change.

At this point, he mentioned about Bangladesh's development of flood-, drought- and salinity-resistant seeds, rainwater harvesting, rooftop gardening, introduction of boat-schools, floating agriculture, trust fund from own resources, etc.

The GCA meeting broadly focused on the ways to bring back the issue of adaptation to the mainstream of climate negotiation.

It also discussed funding strategies for ensuring accelerated adaptability against climate change through forming effective partnerships among public, private and philanthropic entities.

The meeting also discussed the governance issues of the newly formed organisation and the proposed regional offices.

It may be mentioned that the regional office of GCA for South Asia will be located in Dhaka.

Foreign Minister AK Momen was invited to be a board member of the newly formed GCA due to spectacular record of Bangladesh in terms of climate adaptation and disaster management.

World leaders, who have been vocal against the issue of climate change, were present in the meeting. They included former United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon and ministers from the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, and mayors from Paris, Rotterdam and Miami.

China, the Philippines and Bangladesh were invited to be board members from Asia.

Dr Momen, on Friday, had discussions on the Presidency of Bangladesh of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the projected programmes and actions during the presidency.

He also discussed the modalities of the soon-to-be-established Dhaka regional office of GCA with the officials of the GCA headquarters.