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More budget sought for tackling climate change: Experts

15 Sep 2021 00:16:05 | Update: 15 Sep 2021 00:16:05
More budget sought for tackling climate change: Experts
Staff Correspondent

The government should increase budget allocation to address the adverse effects of climate change and incorporate climate-change induced migration as part of its initiatives, opined the experts.

They came up with the view at a webinar titled ‘Stakeholder Consultation on Bangladesh Climate Budget FY’ 2021-22’ organised by ActionAid Bangladesh on Tuesday.

“Climate budget allocation is insignificant to allow societies and economies to adapt to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of climate change,” they said.

Climate experts said that less than 8 per cent of the budget of the twenty-five key ministries and divisions of Bangladesh have been allocated for Climate Change, which is Tk 25,124.98 crore and accounts for 57.33 per cent of the total national budget of FY’ 2021-22.

They also said that compared to last year’s allocation, the budget for FY’ 2021-22 has decreased from 7.48 per cent to 7.26 per cent.

The experts stated that the differential impact of climate change on women threatens to undermine advancement of women’s empowerment in social development and politics.

“Thus, it is necessary to give attention to the gender dimension of climate change to develop specific and effective climate action plans that address the risks women face,” they added.

The discussants said, “One significant challenge is that government ministries, departments and agencies have less conceptual understanding of the climate budget than of the more established gender budget and gender responsive climate budgeting is a new arena for exploration.”

Dr. Mizan R. Khan, professor of the Environmental Science and Management department at North South University said, “85 per cent of the allocation for climate finance comes from the local sectors, so the local sectors must be given due importance. At the same time, climate financing should also come under transparency and accountability.”

“It is advisable to implement the National Adaptation Plan locally and regionally,” he added.

He also said that manpower could be exported through training the youth affected by climate change to utilise the country’s demographic dividend.

Ferdousy Begum, deputy secretary, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs said that women and children are the most vulnerable to any disaster and the government is trying to formulate a women and child friendly budget.

She also said that public participation is increasing through courtyard meetings, workshops, and
many other activities. Besides, she requested everyone to come forward to solve the climate crisis from their respective positions.

Farah Kabir, country director, ActionAid Bangladesh, said, “It is true that we are now going through a three-pronged crisis of Covid-19, climate and economy as well.”

“Yet, there is still a huge gap in leadership, consensus, planning, implementation, investment and allocation around the world in climate financing,” she said.

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