The government of Bangladesh held a national level consultation workshop initiating the formulation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). The objective was to lay the groundwork for integrating adaptation into development planning. The Department of Environment and UNDP Bangladesh jointly organised a workshop,  ‘The role and responsibilities of different Stakeholders in NAP Formulation’ on 28 July 2020.

Around fifty representatives from different government ministries, departments and research organisations and UNDP attended the workshop. Participants of the workshop underscored the need for stronger integration of local governments into the NAP process, establish stronger mechanisms for smoother inter-ministry coordination, align multilevel policy at all levels of the government and enhanced knowledge on adaptation process at the local and national levels.

The workshop highlighted the importance of fostering dialogue, coordination, collaboration and coherence among relevant processes at all levels of government with a clear roadmap. Taking into cognisance of the COVID-19 pandemic, speakers urged to carefully examine the situation and make the NAP a COVID-proof adaptation plan. In this regard, they emphasised innovative funding mechanisms, as well as taking stock of the existing adaptation funding mechanisms as a key step in the process.

Held within the framework of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) readiness and preparatory support project, “Formulation and Advancement of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Process” (GCF NAP Project), this three-year project aims to make a significant contribution towards enhancing the institutional coordination mechanism in Bangladesh. The Department of Environment is executing the project with financial support from the Green Climate Fund  and UNDP Bangladesh as the implementing partner.

Reflecting on COVID-19, the Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh Mr. Khurshid Alam, emphasised moving beyond the recovery to ‘old normal’ and requested the government to make the right choices for a green and nature-based development pathway. He emphasised that the private sector has a big role to play, and must include risks to disruption into their business models. He emphasised that financing adaptation also makes sense for businesses, which has not been explored more yet.

Dr. Md Taibur Rahman Project Manager of the NAP process hoped that the NAP would be a science-oriented evidence-based holistic and integrated adaptation plan for the country mainstreamed into the development planning and budgeting process, including Delta Plan 2100, Five Year Plans, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the appropriate legal and institutional framework necessary for implementation.

Special guest, Additional Secretary (Development), (MoEFCC), Mr. A Shamim Al Razi  said, “Bangladesh being a climate-vulnerable country is doing its best to make climate change adaptation effective. We need to prepare our adaptation plan without delay, which will help us to combat climate change and adaptation goals under the Paris Agreement.”

Special guest, Additional Secretary (Climate Change), (MoEFCC), Mr. Mizanul Hoque Chowdhury said, “The NAP should give strong emphasis on raising public awareness from grassroots to the national level to combat negative impacts of climate change.”

Special guest, Additional Secretary (Environment Wing), Mr. Mahmud Hasan said, “As we know that unplanned urbanisation is a big environmental challenge, the NAP should adequately address the urbanisation issue and restrict unplanned urbanisation.”

The chief guest of the workshop, SecretaryMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr. Ziaul Hasan said, “Today' s workshop on formulating the NAP involves officials from related govenment ministries and agencies that aim to apprise them the targetted outcomes of this project and focuses on how we can integrate ourselves better to make the NAP document country-specific and most effective for our survival against climate-induced vulnerabilities. Successively, we will include all possible stakeholders including climate-vulnerable people in the formulation process of the NAP.”

In wrapping up the workshop, Director General of the Department of Environment and Chair, Dr. A K M Rafique Ahammed  said, “The NAP will focus on enhancing the adaptation capacity and reduce vulnerability. It will be a country-driven cross-sectoral inclusive and transparent living document for climate change adaptation, which will be updated based on medium- to long-term adaptation needs.”    

Through the GCF NAP project, Bangladesh is expected to meet the existing gaps of institutional arrangements and coordinate a strategy for medium and long-term climate change adaptation investment by establishing capacity for funding strategies for the implementation of its NAP process.

The NAP will gather and analyse information using scientific tools, develop risk scenarios, generate experience and science-based adaptation strategies in line with Bangladesh’s priorities outlined in SDG, Delta Plan 2100, Perspective plan, five-year plan and its ambition to graduate from a Least Developed Country to middle-income country. It will allow Bangladesh to identify country-specific adaptation needs; develop and implement strategies to address the adaptation needs, as well as help the country decide on actions to protect the most vulnerable communities.