NN Online Report:
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury said the France-Bangladesh Adaptation Pact signifies a robust partnership aimed at addressing the urgent challenges of climate change.
This collaborative effort aims to expedite Bangladesh’s adaptation strategies while securing additional funding for climate resilience projects, reports media.
The environment minister said this while a delegation led by the Ambassador of France, Marie Masdupuy, held a bilateral meeting to discuss the France-Bangladesh Adaptation Pact at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Sunday.
The meeting focused on finalizing the France-Bangladesh Adaptation Pact. The MoEFCC’s proposed resource allocation aligns with national priorities. The timeline for the pact is set from September 2023 to August 2028.
The French delegation expressed willingness to align interventions with Bangladesh’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) during the implementation phase.
Discussions emphasized the need for a targeted capacity-building program. The MoEFCC will submit project concepts under the “Ecosystem, Wetland and Biodiversity” sector of the NAP to access initial funding. AFD has requested the MoEFCC’s formal project request to secure the first tranche of €4 million for 2024.
The meeting highlighted projects aimed at restoring and protecting the Sundarbans, including mangrove plantation and community-based forest fire management.
The French government, through AFD, is offering a climate policy loan support of €300 million. MoEFCC stressed the need for technical support to meet specific indicators, particularly those related to the Enhanced Transparency Framework.