Bangladesh must turn decades of environmental commitments into practical improvements for vulnerable communities, experts and policymakers have said at the launch of a new platform aimed at strengthening climate governance and public accountability.
The Nature and Governance Policy Platform (NGPP) was introduced at a policy dialogue organised by Change Initiative in Dhaka, bringing together parliamentarians, government officials, environmental specialists, development partners and civil society representatives.
Participants called for better-coordinated public spending, stronger domestic institutions and greater transparency in climate finance, arguing that international advocacy must be matched by effective action at home.
Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, who attended as chief guest, said many environmental challenges and proposed solutions had been discussed for decades without adequate implementation.
The priority, he said, must now be to translate established principles into tangible benefits for communities.
Referring to the polluter-pays principle, Dr Khan argued that countries responsible for substantial environmental damage should accept responsibility for addressing its consequences.
He also highlighted the difficulties facing elected representatives who must balance environmental protection with public demands for roads, infrastructure, industrial development and improved living standards.
Development decisions should account for their long-term effects on land, ecosystems and livelihoods, rather than focusing solely on immediate economic gains, he said.
Citing Nepal’s Arun III hydropower project, Dr Khan stressed the importance of considering environmental impacts and community concerns when planning major infrastructure schemes. He urged NGPP to engage directly with communities affected by development decisions.
Climate finance: focus on how money is spent
Dr Khan challenged the view that debt-financed development should be assessed solely in terms of borrowing costs, arguing that the quality and long-term benefits of investment also mattered.
Drawing on Germany’s post-war reconstruction, he said borrowing could support development when funds strengthened economic capacity and generated lasting public benefits.
The discussion highlighted the need to secure fair financing terms for climate-vulnerable countries while ensuring that available resources were used effectively. Participants raised concerns about excessive and unsustainable debt, alongside questions of accountability and investment returns.
Dr Khan also called for participatory planning to become a routine feature of local government. He identified Switzerland and Sweden as potential sources of experience in decentralised governance and encouraged greater international cooperation.
Former environment secretary calls for joined-up policies
Dr Farhina Ahmed, a former secretary of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, questioned whether the time and resources devoted to international climate negotiations had delivered sufficient practical benefits for the country.
She called for greater investment in domestic institutional capacity, reliable national data and measures capable of tackling several environmental challenges simultaneously.
Household solar cooking, she suggested, could reduce air pollution and emissions while lowering dependence on fossil fuels.
Dr Ahmed identified fragmented government decision-making as a major obstacle, arguing that environmental considerations should be incorporated into project approval and implementation rather than treated as separate policy concerns.
Climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution were closely interconnected, she said, requiring coordinated responses centred on nature and ecosystems.
She also called for stronger partnerships between government agencies and non-governmental organisations to make better use of existing capacity and avoid duplication.
Local priorities should shape climate spending
Md Ziaul Haque, a former additional director-general of the Department of Environment, said Bangladesh’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) should be implemented through locally led adaptation, with Union Parishads playing a central role in identifying community needs.
He questioned whether major development projects consistently reflected local priorities before reaching the Planning Commission.
Participatory planning and transparent budgeting should shape investment decisions from the outset, he said.
Mr Haque called for existing policies on climate-vulnerability-based funding, alignment with the NAP and Bangladesh’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to be applied more consistently during project appraisal, budget allocation and implementation oversight.
Securing new climate finance was important, he said, but existing public expenditure also needed to reflect the risks and priorities identified by vulnerable communities.
Calls for better coordination and climate justice
A Department of Fisheries representative identified as Sajidur Rahman called for closer coordination between government agencies and non-governmental organisations.
He highlighted instances of overlapping support to the same beneficiaries, including farmers and fishers receiving multiple loans through separate programmes. Better information-sharing, joint planning and clearer institutional responsibilities could reduce duplication and improve services, he said.
Parliamentarian Mansura Akter highlighted Bangladesh’s exposure to climate-related losses despite the substantial contribution of emissions and consumption beyond its borders.
She argued that the country should strengthen domestic resource mobilisation while continuing to seek international support commensurate with the climate damage it experiences.
Ms Akter welcomed NGPP’s aim of connecting grassroots initiatives with national policymaking, stressing that meaningful community participation would be essential to its effectiveness.
Six priorities for the new platform
M Zakir Hossain Khan outlined NGPP’s proposed structure, which will bring together core members, thematic groups and technical expertise informed by community experience.
Change Initiative will act as the platform’s technical secretariat, providing facilitation and technical support. NGPP intends to engage with Parliament, the executive and other policy institutions through evidence-based recommendations, public hearings and thematic discussions.
The moderator said Shaikh Faridul Islam, MP, the state minister for environment, forest and climate change, had agreed to serve initially as convener.
NGPP was presented as an independent advisory platform able to determine its own priorities and programme of work. Its founding membership, recorded on 15 October, comprises eight members, who will serve in their individual capacities.
They are Shaikh Faridul Islam; Mahmuda Habiba, MP, representing reserved women’s seat 13; Mansura Akter, MP; Md Mostafizur Rahman, MP for Naogaon-1; Md Ziaul Haque; Dr Fazle Rabbi Sadeque Ahmed, a climate change and development expert and former deputy managing director of PKSF; Professor Dr Sharmind Neelormi, an economist at Jahangirnagar University specialising in climate change, gender and the green economy; and Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor of GreenWatchBD.
The founding group is expected to expand to include further sectors, technical expertise and community perspectives.
Swiss diplomat stresses lasting institutional change
Diepak Elmer, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, welcomed the initiative, highlighting the importance of bringing policymakers, researchers, practitioners and communities together.
He acknowledged Bangladesh’s vulnerability to climate impacts while recognising its experience in adaptation and disaster preparedness.
Climate finance could deliver lasting benefits only when supported by effective governance and institutions capable of translating funding into practical results, he said.
Mr Elmer identified four priorities: strengthening local government; investing in institutions that continue to function beyond individual projects; integrating environmental objectives across policy areas; and improving evidence, transparency and oversight.
Institutions closest to citizens needed clear responsibilities, adequate resources and the capacity to deliver services, he said.
He also called for closer integration of policies covering climate adaptation, water, rivers, biodiversity and waste management, alongside stronger parliamentary scrutiny and more effective implementation of existing strategies.
The success of climate finance should ultimately be measured by improvements in people’s lives, the protection of nature and stronger public institutions, he added.
Public hearings planned
NGPP’s immediate priorities include two planned public hearings intended to bring grassroots perspectives directly into its work, with platform members participating.
A meeting of the core group was also anticipated later in October to establish priorities and agree the next programme of action.
In the closing session, Md Tahmidul Islam linked the discussion of participatory planning to work undertaken through a Swiss-supported programme.
He said five-year plans and associated budgets had been published on the websites of participating Union Parishads and municipalities, providing greater public access to local planning information and a basis for scrutinising spending priorities.
He also recalled calls for clearer information on climate finance and lower debt burdens, expressing hope that NGPP would receive constructive government support.