UK funds climate change project in Bangladesh

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LONDON, Mar 19 (bdnews24.com): A new phase of a "groundbreaking" project in Bangladesh to fight poverty and combat climate change will start in April, a British minister announced Thursday.
The UK's international development secretary Douglas Alexander said Britain will provide a £70m grant over the next six years to help poverty alleviation.
Speaking at a Bengali community event in East London organised by local MP Jim Fitzpatrick, Alexander said the next phase of the Chars Livelihoods Programme will help more than one million of the poorest Bangladeshis to escape extreme poverty and adapt their homes to the impact of climate change.
Alexander also told the news agency this is an additional development fund. This money will be spent on tackling climate change, he said.
"Climate change is making the challenge of dealing with poverty even harder for communities across Bangladesh," said the international development secretary.
"When I was there in September with the Climate Change Secretary, I returned with an understanding that if we are serious about tackling global poverty, we also have to be serious about tackling climate change."
Alexander also spoke to bdnews24.com about the administration of a £75 million contribution to Bangladesh's Multi Donor Trust Fund.
"We are in discussion with the Bangladesh government. We are working in close partnership with them, both on the challenge of tackling poverty and climate change.
Starting in April this year, the UK's Department for International Development will raise the floor level of 100,000 homes above the flood level under the ongoing Chars Livelihoods Programme over the next six years.