LDC graduation must not cut climate support

Bangladesh must not lose access to essential international climate adaptation finance after graduating from the least developed country (LDC) category, civil society organisations (CSOs) have warned, calling for a financing framework based on climate vulnerability rather than economic status.

They said Bangladesh’s graduation from the LDC category would neither reduce its exposure to climate disasters nor eliminate its need for international assistance.

Predictable, grant-based and highly concessional financing must therefore remain available to climate-vulnerable countries regardless of their development classification.

The demands were raised at a press conference organised by the Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD), in collaboration with the Climate Justice Alliance-Bangladesh (CJA-B) and several other civil society organisations, at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday.

Held ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the event called for a coordinated regional position among Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal (BBN) to address shared climate threats and secure equitable adaptation financing.

COP31 is scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20.

Md Shamsuddoha, chief executive of CPRD and coordinator of CJA-B, said the economic progress achieved by the three countries had not necessarily reduced their exposure to climate risks or strengthened their capacity to withstand recurring climate shocks.

Although Bhutan has already graduated from the LDC category and Bangladesh and Nepal are progressing through their respective graduation processes, all three countries remain highly vulnerable to climate change, he said.

He called for coordinated initiatives by the governments and civil society organisations of the three countries at COP31 and in subsequent international climate negotiations.

Presenting the keynote paper, Sumaiya Binte Anwar, programme manager for research and advocacy at CPRD, called for a fundamental reassessment of international climate adaptation and financing frameworks.

She argued that climate vulnerability should be assessed on the basis of countries’ actual and projected exposure to climate risks rather than conventional economic indicators and development classifications.

Rabeya Begum, executive director of Shariatpur Development Society (SDS), said graduating from the LDC category must not be confused with overcoming climate vulnerability.

She urged developed countries and multilateral climate finance institutions not to use economic progress as a justification for withdrawing essential adaptation support.

Aminur Rasul, chair of Climate Action Forum, said the survival rights and adaptation needs of vulnerable communities should not be subordinated to the mitigation priorities or economic interests of developed countries.

Nikhil Chandra, coordinator of Upokul O Sundarban Suraksha Andolon, stressed that adaptation and mitigation should be treated as complementary pillars of climate action.

He called for adequate international adaptation assistance that reflected the historical responsibilities of developed countries and the urgent requirements of climate-vulnerable nations.

Mir Mohammad Ali, assistant professor of aquaculture at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, emphasised stronger regional advocacy and closer cooperation between governments and civil society to secure equitable climate financing.

Rafiqul Islam Azad, former president of Dhaka Reporters Unity, called for a clear distinction between economic graduation and climate vulnerability.

He urged Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal to make grant-based adaptation finance a non-negotiable demand in international climate negotiations.

Shared climate threats demand regional response
The organisations said Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal were interconnected through a broader mountain-to-delta climate system, exposing them to common and cascading environmental threats.

These include Himalayan glacier retreat, changing monsoon patterns, altered river flows, extreme rainfall, rising temperatures, sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion.

Such developments are increasingly putting pressure on livelihoods, infrastructure, climate-sensitive economic sectors and public finances across the region, they said.

Participants argued that the interconnected nature of these risks required international adaptation financing to be determined by vulnerability rather than solely by national income levels or LDC classification.

Three priorities ahead of COP31
The press conference outlined three major policy priorities for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal to pursue at COP31 and in subsequent climate negotiations.

First, the three countries should place adaptation at the centre of international climate discussions, ensuring that vulnerability, equity and human rights remain fundamental to global climate action.

Greater recognition should also be given to transboundary and cascading climate risks.

Second, they called for a sustained financing mechanism that would guarantee predictable, accessible, grant-based and highly concessional adaptation support, irrespective of a country’s LDC graduation status.

Third, the countries should develop a common regional advocacy and negotiating agenda to address shared climate threats, strengthen adaptation measures and ensure transparent and accountable delivery of climate finance.

Other participants included Habibur Rahman of Swacheton Foundation, Md Anwar Hossain of Riverine People and Sheikh Nur Ataya Rabbi, programme manager for research and advocacy at CPRD, alongside climate experts, human rights advocates and civil society representatives.