Bangladesh needs $876b to mitigate climate change: Minister

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury has said that Bangladesh needs $876 billion to implement its ambitious climate action plans and that is why international cooperation is crucial in this regard.

“The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) of the country estimates an investment of $230 billion for adaptation till 2050,” he said while speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day workshop organised by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) at BRAC CDM at Savar in the capital on Saturday (June1).

Additionally, he said, implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) requires $175 billion.

"The Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP) and the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 estimate $471.72 billion to implement the identified priority projects. Partnership is fundamental. To coordinate among the development partners, the government formed Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership," he said.

Saber Chowdhury said climate change is not just an environmental issue; it is an economic, social and developmental issue that affects every sector of the society.

Secretary of ERD under the finance ministry Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at Swedish Embassy Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, Deputy High Commissioner and Development Director of British High Commission in Dhaka Matt Cannell, Country Director of Asian Development Bank Edimon Ginting and Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh Stefan Liller, among others, also spoke on the occasion.