United Nations Deputy Secretary-General and United Nations Sustainable Development Group Chair Amina J Mohammed made an official visit to Mongla in Bagerhat district yesterday to see how the UN is working with the Government of Bangladesh to build resilience and take local action on climate change adaptation.
During her visit, she witnessed the ‘Local Government Initiative on Climate Change’ (LoGIC) project developed in 2016 by the government of Bangladesh, the European Union, the government of Sweden, UNDP, and UNCDF, with an aim to deliver climate finance to the most vulnerable households and local government institutions and enable them to build resilience and take local action on climate change adaptation.
During her visit, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed had first-hand experience with the climate change adaptation initiatives led by the communities.
She met the local community who have benefitted from technical and financial support from the LoGIC project. Through the project’s Climate Resilience Funds (CRF) and capacity-building initiatives, the local community has implemented adaptive livelihood solutions such as brackish water fish poly-culture, vegetable cultivation, sheep and duck rearing.
In addition, they now have access to safe and clean drinking water through a community rainwater harvesting system installed at a nearby school, benefiting about 200 families, a UNDP press release said.
Amina Mohammed expressed her appreciation for the impactful work on climate change adaptation, highlighting the importance of local leadership, innovation, and nature-based solutions in building climate resilience.
She emphasized the United Nations’ commitment to supporting such initiatives and called for continued collaboration among governments, international organisations, and communities to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change.
The LoGIC project, operating in Bagerhat district, which is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, has demonstrated itself as a sustainable financing model that enhances climate change adaptation actions.
Furthermore, LoGIC promotes gender equality by empowering women and challenging prevailing gender norms. By fostering equitable participation, the project enables women to fully utilise their potential for personal and economic advancement.
Deputy Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar; Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh; Stefan Liller, Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh; and Muhammad Abdul Muhith, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN; were also present along with other senior officials from the government and the UN.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha