Antalya:State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam has emphasized the urgent need for collective action among climate-vulnerable countries to address the adverse impacts of climate change. He highlighted that rising sea levels are seriously threatening Bangladesh's access to safe drinking water, food security, housing, and infrastructure.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Shaikh Faridul Islam made these remarks during the opening address at a high-level policy dialogue titled "Living Waters, Shared Rights Climate Resilience through Natural Rights-Led Governance," held at the Bangladesh Pavilion on the opening day of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Antalya, Turkiye.
The dialogue was organized by Change Initiative, in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland and WaterAid Bangladesh, and focused on natural rights-led water governance, the protection of transboundary rivers, and equitable access to water for local communities. Faridul stressed the importance of strengthening collective efforts and international cooperation among Global South nations and climate-vulnerable countries to address these growing challenges.
Speakers at the dialogue noted that the natural flow of rivers transcends political boundaries, necessitating transboundary river management policies that respect ecosystem protection and community rights. The dialogue also highlighted the need for integrating scientific evidence and natural rights principles into effective water governance policies.
M Zakir Hossain Khan, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Change Initiative, underscored the global water crisis and changes in natural river flows, emphasizing the need for effective cooperation and coordinated policy initiatives for sustainable transboundary water governance. Research presented during the dialogue revealed that Bangladesh received US$ 7.78 in loans for every US$ 1 in grants for climate finance in the water supply sector between 2002 and 2023, indicating a need to increase grant-based financing.
Other speakers, including Mansura Akter, Member of Parliament of Bangladesh, and international experts highlighted the impacts of climate change on ordinary people and the importance of long-term policy measures to ensure water rights. The dialogue stressed the significance of cooperation, technical knowledge-sharing, and grant-based financing for local communities to improve climate adaptation and water resource management.