Bangladesh has called upon development partners, multilateral donors and private sector to come forward to support national efforts for post-Covid recovery and climate action, especially of the most vulnerable countries through additional financial and technological support.
“As a climate vulnerable country with recurring disasters, Bangladesh has learnt over the years the critical importance of disaster preparedness, community engagement and institutional capacity building which helped us in our response to Covid-19 pandemic,” said Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Rabab Fatima.
She said this recently while addressing a virtual High-Level Political Forum side event on “Adaptation and Resilience in a post-Covid world: Transformative, Inclusive and Locally-led Climate Policy and Action” in New York.
The event was co-hosted by the Netherlands, Ireland, Kenya, Bhutan and Bangladesh in collaboration with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Terming both the Covid-19 and climate change as invincible threats to lives, livelihoods, and development, particularly for countries with pre-existing vulnerabilities, Ambassador Fatima observed that global preparedness and actions were woefully inadequate to tackle health and climate emergencies.
She recalled how Bangladesh and several other countries had faced double jeopardy of the Covid-19 and natural calamities such as cyclone Amphan simultaneously.
She referred to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ‘whole of society’ approach in adaptation and resilience building where women, youth and the local communities are central to all government initiatives for combating climate, health and other emergencies.
The event was also attended by Netherlands Vice Minister Roald Lapperre, IFRC Permanent Observer and Head of Delegation Richard Blewitt, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) Director and Climate Vulnerable Forum’s advisory member Dr Saleemul Huq and representatives of different missions in New York, UN Agencies and CSOs.
