(BSS) - A high-level delegation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), led by Tariq H. Niazi, senior director of Public

Sector Management and Governance Department, ADB Headquarters in Philippines, and Hoe Yun Jeong, country director of ADB Bangladesh, met with Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at her office in Bangladesh Secretariat today.

During the meeting, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, also the adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources, underscored the urgent need to safeguard Bangladesh`s agricultural land from rapid and unsustainable conversion, noting that the country is losing nearly one percent of its cultivable land each year.

She urged ADB to assist the government in conducting a comprehensive mapping of agricultural zones and to provide both technical and financial support to strengthen land-use governance and ensure food security by 2050, said a Ministry press release.

The adviser also emphasized the importance of rainwater harvesting as an effective climate adaptation measure, especially in coastal regions.

She called for ADB`s support in scaling up small-scale community water initiatives into nationwide programs. Rizwana Hasan reiterated the government`s commitment to developing bankable climate-resilient projects, particularly under the Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP), and mentioned that shortlisted projects will soon be shared with ADB for further collaboration.

In response, Niazi, senior director of the ADB, reaffirmed ADB`s strong partnership with Bangladesh and expressed readiness to provide additional funding and technical assistance for climate-resilient development and institutional strengthening.

Country Director Jeong highlighted ADB`s ongoing initiatives to mobilize private sector investment and said an ADB mission from the Office of Market Development would visit Dhaka next week to explore resource mobilization opportunities.

Both parties agreed on the need for faster implementation of pilot projects-especially in river restoration, water management, and community adaptation-to achieve tangible results on the ground.

Sameer Khatiwada, principal economist; Sandeep Bhattacharya, principal public sector specialist; and Mousumi Pervin, senior climate change officer of ADB Bangladesh were also present, among others, at the meeting.