Rights based civil society demanded at least 3.2% of GDP [Gross Domestic Product] for climate financing through the national budgetary process every year.
Besides, they also demanded the government to take measurable steps by reforming the Tax and financial system to stop capital flight for necessary resources mobilization domestically for climate financing.
Leaders of the civil society raised their demands at a press conference held at National Press Club in the city on Monday.
Several civil society organisations, included COAST Foundation, CPRD [Center for Participatory Research & Development], CSRL [Centre for Sustainable Rural Livelihood], EquityBD [Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh], AOSED [An Organization for Socio-Economic Development]-Khulna, CANSA-BD [Climate Action Network on South Asia-Bangladesh] and LEDARS-Satkhira jointly organised the press conference.
M. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST foundation moderated the event.
In his speech, Aminul Hoque of EquityBD said that, government has been allocating a portion of budgetary money for Disaster Management purposes since its independence. This money just shifted in the name of climate finance to show the donors which does not commensurate the present climate context and its requirements in achieving climate resilient Bangladesh.
He also showed that government strategic climate plans like Delta plan 2100, Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan 2030 and NDC [National Determined Contribution etc.] require around 3.2% of GDP [BDT 1,83,000 crore/year] investment every year where allocation is far less against target.
In this context, he put a few demands regarding climate financing issues including that the government must ensure at least 3.2% of GDP as climate financing according to their strategic plans and real time implementation, and the government must think of an Integrated national climate budget instead of separate climate finance which is hardly realistic.
Md. Ziaul Hoque Mukta of CSRL said there is a lack of policy coherence among the government climate plans like Delta plan and Mujib Climate Prosperity plan etc. Proposed 2023-24 budget is the output of these inconsistencies with no target on real climate financing. Government will have to emphasize the issues of strategic climate plans and allocate climate finance accordingly, he added.
Md. Shamsuddoha of CPRD stated that government ministries lack the capacity to utilize money and they don’t have a sectoral plan which is one of the causes for separate climate financing. Apart, the ministries are also very much interested in taking climate finance from the IFIs [International Financial Institutions] because they have little accountability and transparency comparing finance through global climate financing processes like sovereign donors.
Shamim Arefinn of AOSED said that the government has ignored coastal protection issues. That’s why climate induced displacement and migration are happening and increasing socio-economic imbalance.
He hoped that the government would realize the issues as important and revise climate financing strategies accordingly.
Event moderator M. Rezaul Karim demanded for an integrated coastal development plan and finance where disaster risk reduction, social development like health, technical education and employment generation programs are implemented simultaneously and that will be a real protection and benefit the coastal people.