Climate budget allocations in Bangladesh remain inadequate and poorly structured, leaving coastal communities increasingly vulnerable due to a lack of protective infrastructure. Despite rising climate-induced losses, funding has not kept pace with the growing needs of the affected regions.
At a seminar held in Dhaka on Wednesday, experts and activists called on the government to allocate at least 3% of the national GDP for climate finance in the upcoming 2025-26 national budget. They emphasized that targeted, sector-specific investments are critical to protect the lives and livelihoods of nearly 40 million people living in Bangladesh's climate-vulnerable coastal belt.
Key Demands and Priorities
Speakers highlighted a range of urgent priorities, including construction of durable embankments, coastal afforestation, sustainable rehabilitation for climate-displaced populations, comprehensive water resource management, solutions for drinking water and sanitation crises and development of climate-resilient agriculture and irrigation systems.
The seminar, titled "National Budget 2025-26: Climate Budget and Coastal Bangladesh," was held at the CIRDAP Auditorium on Topkhana Road. It was organized by EquityBD, a civil society network, in collaboration with COAST Foundation, CPRD, CDP, Waterkeepers Bangladesh, Sundarban Protection Movement, BCJF, Udayan, DUS, and SDI.
Expert Insights and Community Voices
Disaster management expert Gawher Nayeem Wahra warned that implementing the Bangladesh Delta Plan would be impossible without resolving transboundary river issues.
He stressed the need for stronger community participation in embankment management, sustainable protection strategies for the Sundarbans, and improved policies on water governance and climate-induced migration.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Executive Director of COAST Foundation, reiterated the demand for a minimum 3% GDP allocation for climate finance. He also called for the construction of stone and concrete embankments and the establishment of climate-resilient water purification systems in coastal regions.
A.H.M. Hamidur Rahman Azad, Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, emphasized the importance of leveraging local resources and strengthening institutional capacity for managing natural resources effectively.
Umama Fatema, representing the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, criticized environmentally damaging development projects such as the Rampal and Matarbari coal plants and shipbreaking operations near protected coastal forests.
She highlighted the lack of implementation and monitoring in climate initiatives and underscored the urgent need for river dredging to ensure an adequate water supply.
Javed Rasin, Joint Convenor of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports (NCP), supported embankment construction and afforestation efforts, drawing attention to the neglected health needs of women in climate-affected coastal areas.
