Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has stressed the need to translate Bangladesh’s climate policies and plans into coordinated programmes, quality projects, appropriate financing and measurable outcomes.
He said development decisions made today would shape the country’s climate risks for decades, making it essential for every major investment to consider the climate conditions of the relevant area.
The minister made the remarks as chief guest at the opening of the two-day Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP) Knowledge Conference 2026 at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday.
At the event, he launched the BCDP Web Portal, a digital platform designed to provide real-time monitoring of climate-related projects and investments. The portal is expected to improve transparency and streamline the development of domestic and international climate finance pipelines.
Mintoo said adaptation investments often generate significant public benefits even without direct financial returns. He called for climate financing arrangements that reflect Bangladesh’s development priorities and fiscal capacity, while urging greater private investment in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure.
Emphasising the importance of local knowledge, he said women, young people, persons with disabilities and marginalised communities must have meaningful opportunities to participate in project design, implementation and monitoring.
He also stressed the need for effective institutions, sound investment decisions and transparent use of climate resources. At the same time, Bangladesh would continue seeking international support and climate justice to address adaptation needs and climate-related loss and damage, he said.
State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam, speaking as a special guest, highlighted rising coastal salinity, declining crop production and growing pressure on livelihoods caused by climate change.
He said the government was prioritising nature-based solutions, including canal excavation and tree plantation programmes. He also highlighted plans to expand electric buses and solar power as part of the country’s low-carbon development efforts.
Faridul Islam called for active cooperation from development partners and other organisations to make BCDP activities more dynamic and effective.
Dr Md Saimum Parvez, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said Bangladesh’s experience in climate adaptation reflected courage, innovation and collective action.
He emphasised community leadership and ownership, accessible and equitable grant-based financing, local capacity development, transparency and accountability.
He also called for Bangladesh’s experience in early warning systems and community-based adaptation to be shared internationally, urging participants to turn conference discussions into concrete commitments, partnerships and practical action.
ADB Executive Director Satya Srinivas Lolla, who represents Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Lao PDR, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, said implementing Bangladesh’s national climate plans would require substantial investment from both the public and private sectors.
He said the success of the conference would ultimately depend on follow-up action and investment, stressing the importance of combining financing, technical expertise, institutional capacity and partnerships to move Bangladesh from planning to implementation.
The first day of the conference focused on climate resilience and low-carbon growth, the National Adaptation Plan and implementation of NDC 3.0.
The second day, scheduled for Thursday, will discuss energy transition, low-carbon transport, water resources management, climate-resilient agriculture and the preparation of investment-ready projects, among other issues.
Strengthening coordination, financing and partnerships for implementing the National Adaptation Plan 2023–2050 and NDC 3.0 is among the key objectives of the conference.
Dr Fahmida Khanam, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, chaired the opening session. Additional Secretary (Climate Change) Mohammad Navid Shafiullah delivered the welcome address, while Joint Secretary Munira Sultana moderated the event.
The two-day conference has been organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with support from the Asian Development Bank. More than 500 policymakers, development partners, experts, private-sector representatives, academics and civil society representatives are attending the event.
