BD boosts adaptation finance through training for financial sector leaders

 
Under a collaborative initiative, Bangladesh Bank, the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM), and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) successfully delivered a Gender-Responsive Masterclass on Adaptation Finance: Building National Capacity to Enhance Access to Climate Finance from 18-22 January 2025 at the BIBM campus in Dhaka.

The five-day masterclass brought together 30 representatives from BIBM, commercial banks, and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), strengthening institutional capacity to integrate climate adaptation considerations into financial decision-making. 

Training sessions were delivered by faculty from Bangladesh Bank, BIBMand senior practitioners from the banking sector.

The programme builds on a Training of Trainers (ToT) initiative conducted in November 2024, through which GCA, supported by knowledge partner Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, enhanced the capacity of national trainers to deliver adaptation finance curricula in a sustained and institutionalised manner.

During the closing and certificate award ceremony, M. Mosleh Uddin, Senior Programme Officer, Adaptation Finance at GCA, presented a summary of the training outcomes and key lessons learned, highlighting the importance of embedding climate risk and resilience considerations into core financial practices.

Delivering the keynote address, Nurun Nahar, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, underscored the urgency of coordinated national action to strengthen access to climate finance. She noted that building resilience requires well-designed and adequately financed adaptation strategies, supported by strong collaboration among policymakers, financial institutions, development partners, and communities.

A.K.M. Sohel, Additional Secretary and Wing Chief at the Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance, emphasised that adaptation is no longer solely a climate issue but a core banking concern. "Without a climate lens," he noted, "financial institutions risk missing future investment opportunities."