(BSS) – Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today stressed that the initiatives are not merely about tracking climate finance, but about aligning national policies, planning, financing, and implementation to ensure coordinated climate action.

She stressed this at the first meeting of the Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP) Board on Integrated Climate Finance held today at the Chief Adviser’s Office, said a press release here.

Rizwana, at the meeting, underscored the critical importance of BCDP for Bangladesh’s national climate response.

She said, “Bangladesh is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. To respond effectively, we must ensure that projects are bankable, priorities are clear, and actions are both equitable and impactful. Climate change is no longer only an environmental concern—it is a development challenge, an economic challenge, and an existential challenge for us.”

Reiterating Bangladesh’s consistent position in global climate negotiations, the Adviser emphasized that climate finance must be equitably divided between mitigation and adaptation, ensuring that vulnerable communities receive the support necessary for survival and resilience.

She highlighted the need for active engagement of civil society organizations (CSOs) alongside government agencies and the private sector, citing their proven ability to reach communities and drive grassroots-level interventions.

The Adviser identified waste management, afforestation, and renewable energy as pressing mitigation priorities, while urging paradigm shifts in adaptation measures such as rainwater harvesting, natural canal restoration, and improved disaster management in coastal districts.

Presided over by M. Siraz Uddin Miah, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser, the meeting also discussed the progress of BCDP, revision of the Terms of Reference (ToR) of its board and working groups, mobilization of domestic and international financing, establishment of the BCDP Secretariat, and other key institutional and operational issues.

Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), attended as a special guest.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; secretaries of the Ministry of Water Resources, Planning Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, Economic Relations Division, Local Government Division, Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hoe Yun Jeong, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank, and Nayoka Martinez Bäckström, Deputy Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka, and senior officials from CAO, ADB, and MoEFCC were also present on the occasion.

Mohammad Navid Shafiullah, Additional Secretary (Climate Change) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, presented the key points of the BCDP through a PowerPoint presentation.