Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter on Tuesday said that significant coordination gaps among Bangladesh’s ministries and stakeholders have come to light as preparations advance for the COP-30 climate summit in Brazil.
Speaking at a preparatory workshop titled “World Climate Conference COP-30: Preparatory Workshop,” she noted that Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock will, for the first time, join the national delegation to the global conference alongside Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
“For the first time, our ministry will participate in COP. But the lack of inter-ministerial coordination could weaken Bangladesh’s ability to present a unified voice on climate impacts,” said Farida Akhter.
She criticised the perception that COP participation is solely the responsibility of Environment Ministry.
“Climate issues are cross-sectoral; ministries like Fisheries, Agriculture, Education, Disaster Management and Women and Children Affairs are equally connected. One ministry alone cannot ensure effective representation,” she said.
This year, with support from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock plans to highlight the severe effects of climate change on Bangladesh’s fisheries and livestock sectors.
Farida Akhter also underscored the need for stronger collaboration between government bodies and non-government organisations.
“At this COP, we must forget who represents the government and who represents NGOs; we all represent Bangladesh,” she emphasised.
Environmentalists at the workshop noted that, unlike countries such as Bhutan or Indonesia, Bangladesh has not been proactive in creatively presenting its pavilion at previous COP summits.
To address this, the adviser announced that Bangladesh’s pavilion at COP-30 will feature exhibits showcasing local species like the Hilsa and Black Bengal Goat to illustrate the impacts of climate change on fisheries and livestock.
Calling for closer coordination between government delegates and civil society, Farida Akhter also raised concerns over Bangladesh’s uncertain access to the Loss and Damage Fund as the country graduates from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category.
“We can no longer position ourselves as victims. We must demand compensation as our rightful claim,” she said.
She further pointed out that South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, lag behind African nations in presenting collective positions at global climate negotiations.
Citing the impact of climate change on the fisheries sector, the adviser said capture fisheries have suffered significant losses in recent years.
“Previously, 60 percent of national fish demand came from capture fisheries, but that share has now declined by over 20 percent,” she noted.
Warning that no nation is immune to the climate crisis, she added, “Even the United States is now facing floods; this is the reality of climate change. The whole world must act together to confront it.”
Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Abu Taher Muhammad Jaber chaired the workshop session.
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