The United Nations and Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide all necessary assistance to Bangladesh to combat climate change, including the implementation of Bangladesh's National Adaptation Plan (NAP). 

United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis and Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Representative Edimon Ginting said this in two separate meetings with Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin at the secretariat on Tuesday. 

The minister said, Bangladesh needs 230 billion US dollars until 2030 to implement the National Adaptation Plan. 

"We expect cooperation from international organizations like the United Nations and ADB," were his final words. 

The minister said that a specific financing mechanism must be determined for the most vulnerable countries. In this regard, the 8.8 to 9.9 trillion US dollars required for developing countries by 2030 should be taken into consideration. He also said that the global community must work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 to save the planet. 

Gwyn Lewis expressed his special interest in helping climate refugees as a result of climate change. 

Bangladesh is a role model in the world in dealing with climate change, said Edimon Ginting, country representative of ADB. 

Various programs undertaken by Bangladesh are followed by other countries of the world. ADB is assisting Bangladesh in various projects and it will financially help the projects' proposal to address climate risk if the government sends, he added. 

Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the meeting Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary (Administration) Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary (Development) Mizanul Hoque Chowdhury, Joint Secretary Zakia Afroz, ADB Country Specialist Soon Chang Hong, ADB External Affairs Team Leader Gobinda Bar and other senior officials of the Ministry were also present at the meeting.

Source: DhakaTribune