Need for climate-sensitive projects

Against the backdrop of growing climatic turmoil Bangladesh and the rest of the world find themselves in, the country has formulated a national climate adaptability plan covering 27 years called 'National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023-2050. With the country ranking 7th in the Global Climate Risk Index, even such an apparently long-term plan may fail to match the climatic exigencies. Yet a preparation of this order will enhance the country's ability to response to crises it is likely to face on account of natural adversities. According to the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), which is responsible for preparation of the plan, the country lost $4.65 billion or 1.3 per cent of the GDP in the fiscal year 2021-22 due to adverse impacts of climate. The loss, the CEGIS maintains, is likely to surpass 2.0 per cent in 2030 and soar up to 9.0 per cent by 2050 if no action for climate adaptability is taken. In the absence of such strategy, the country could lose up to 30 per cent of agricultural GDP by 2050.

Now what are the losses? Sure enough, adverse weather has its impact on life and livelihoods which in their turn refer to employment, production process, output and availability of food. In this case, cultivation of crops will face growing challenges. So Bangladesh has to explore every possible avenue to take up climate-sensitive projects, particularly relating to agriculture. Multilateral agencies are extending support to the country so that it can meet the challenges as much as possible. As part of such cooperation, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide Bangladesh with $71 million for a climate adaptability project in Gopalganj and Madaripur. To be implemented by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) between 2024 and 2028, the project has its focus on integrated water management, training for water management organisations, local participation and ownership in order to ensure sustainability.

Evidently, the project is not large but its importance cannot be overemphasised. In the country's south where saline water intrusion rendered agricultural land unfit for cultivation of crop, a local farmer has developed an ingenious way of skirting around salinity. Rain water  conserved in depressed or lower parts of agricultural field for irrigation of plants sowed on raised rows of beds has done the trick. Similarly, in submerged areas, farmers successfully grow vegetables on floating beds.   Also agricultural scientists here have already achieved remarkable success in developing saline-tolerant crops.

The multilateral agencies such as the ADB can provide fund for such local initiatives in order to give them a better managed system. Bangladesh is receiving the loan because of such projects' importance to its food security and, by extension, its existence. But this country and other climate-vulnerable ones have a legitimate demand for climate fund from the worst polluters in the world. So, it has sought $230 billion for climate vulnerability under its NAP, 2023-2050 plan.  This amount for a 27-year plan is hardly big enough and the country deserves it, because the adverse climate it is confronting now on account of global warming is a consequence of more extraneous than internal factors. Climate fund is definitely preferable to loan.