Development plans should be climate-smart: ADB
Bangladesh should introduce environment-friendly public transport for both short and long distances to significantly reduce heat-trapping emissions and effectively address climate change effects, ADB's country director said yesterday.
Moreover, the government should coordinate efforts to mainstream adaptation and mitigate cross-cutting actions in development planning and budgeting while ensuring that public investment is “climate smart”, Manmohan Parkash said in a workshop at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka.
Integration of Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) tools in development planning and project approval process to minimise climate change loss is highly essential, said the top official of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
“Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climate risks. Tools developed with ADB's assistance will help make right climate-smart investments, leading to optimal use of public resources,” he said.
The workshop on “Establishing a climate risk screening system for mainstreaming climate change adaptation into national development budgeting activities” was organised by Planning Commission's programme division in collaboration with the ADB.
A project has tested out a CRVA tool on three agriculture and water resource schemes in Barishal, Rajshahi and Sylhet while providing training to government officials on CRVA and cost-benefit analysis of climate change adaptation, said Parkash.
Ziaul Islam, senior secretary to the planning division, said the project's central output was a customised CRVA tool and system aimed at guiding government agencies, departments and ministries in incorporating climate change adaptation and mitigation options in project design.
The tool will also help Planning Commission to ensure that public sector investment projects in the annual development programme are resilient to potential damages due to climate change and natural hazards, he said.
The event also showcased and discussed tools designed under an ADB technical assistance “Action on Climate Change in South Asia (TA 8572 REG)”.
Among others, Planning Commission members Mohammad Asif-uz-Zaman and Shamima Nargis and Sayeedul Haque, chief of the programme division, also spoke.
