GCA, Bangladesh Join Forces To Address Climate Change Threat In Vulnerable Communities

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) Chief Executive Officer, Professor Patrick Verkooijen, concluded a high-level mission to Bangladesh through bilateral discussions with the country’s leaders ahead of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).

Professor Verkooijen said with accelerating climate impacts, more investment for adaptation is vital as GCA is committed to leveraging its resources to work with the Government of Bangladesh and its partners to design, finance, and implement adaptation solutions to sustain this path to prosperity.

He thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her gracious hospitality and constructive discussions on the deep and long standing partnership between GCA and the Government to drive adaptation action.

“I come out of these discussions hugely impressed and inspired by the continued bold leadership of Bangladesh in reducing the threat of climate change for people in the most vulnerable communities,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with Dr AK Abdul Momen, Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of the GCA Board, Professor Verkooijen outlined how GCA is supporting the government in unlocking adaptation finance by mainstreaming adaptation solutions into large scale investments to deliver a step-change in adaptation action.

Minister Momen welcomed GCA’s support and emphasised the need to catalyse investment and to enable direct access to climate finance, noting that the Government of Bangladesh will continue to partner with GCA to achieve scale and speed for those living on the frontlines of the climate emergency in South Asia.

Through the Global Hub on Locally Led Adaptation, supported under the United Kingdom Bangladesh Climate and Environment Programme, GCA is also facilitating the development of ‘People’s Adaptation Plans’ by using state of the art climate analytics to help local communities living in urban settlements understand projected climate risks and to design locally led adaptation investment solutions that can be financed and implemented by International Financial Institutions (IFIs).

During the visit, Professor Verkooijen also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) to provide technical assistance and capacity building support to mobilise significant climate adaptation financing for Bangladesh from the Green Climate Fund over the coming years.

GCA’s engagement via its regional office in Dhaka will soon be anchored by a new nature-based South Asia office to showcase climate adaptation within infrastructure, which was endorsed by Prime Minister Hasina during the official visit.

-- BERNAMA