ADB country director for Bangladesh Manmohan Parkash addressing a dissemination workshop in the city on Wednesday jointly organised by Programming Division of Planning Commission and Asian Development Bank Designing climate-smart development projects using appropriate screening tools is imperative to minimising risks of loss from climate change, speakers have said.
The tools could help the Planning Commission to ensure that public sector investment projects in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) are resilient to potential damages due to climate change and natural hazards, they said.
The views came at a dissemination forum jointly organised by Programming Division under the Planning Commission and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), held at a city hotel
The forum focused on establishing a climate risk screening system for mainstreaming climate change adaptation into national development budgeting activities.
The event showcased and discussed the tools designed under an ADB technical assistance "Action on Climate Change in South Asia.
Speaking at the programme, ADB country director for Bangladesh Manmohan Parkash said Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climate risks.
"The tools developed with ADB-assistance will help make right climate-smart investments, leading to optimal use of public resources," he said. Dr Nurun Nahar, deputy chief of the programming division emphasised the establishment of climate risk screening system for mainstreaming climate change adaptation into national development budgeting activities.
The project's central output is a customised Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) tool and system aimed at guiding government agencies, departments and ministries in incorporating climate change adaptation and mitigation options in project design.
Losses due to climate changes can be minimised through integration of CRVA tools in the development planning and project approval process.
The programming division developed the CRVA tools under a project titled 'Action on climate change in South Asia' supported by the ADB.
The project also pilot-tested the climate risk and vulnerability assessment tool on three agriculture and water resources projects in Barisal, Rajshahi, and Sylhet, and conducted trainings for government officials on CRVA and cost-benefit analysis of climate change adaptation.
In a statement, the ADB said it is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.
Planning Division senior secretary Md. Ziaul Islam; Planning Commission members Mohammad Asif-uz-Zaman and Shamima Nargis, chief of the Programming Division, Planning Commission Md. Sayeedul Haque, among others, attended the event.
About 90 government officials, academics, researchers, development partners, NGOs and civil society members participated in the event.
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