Transparency sought in climate change fund use

Bangladesh should demonstrate transparency and accountability at every stage of using its own funds to mitigate adverse impact of climate change, speakers at a roundtable said Wednesday.
They said transparency and accountability in the domestic climate finance governance will help earn confidence of developed countries, major contributors to carbon emission leading to global warming, in getting their committed funds in the form of compensation.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) organised the roundtable titled 'Good governance on climate financing: Organisational and practical progress, challenge and possibility' at Brac Centre Inn in the capital. Environment and Forest Minister Anwar Hossain Manju was present as the chief guest.
TIB Trustee Board Chairman Sultana Kamal moderated the function, which also proposed formation of a high-powered committee for ensuring good climate fund governance.
TIB's climate finance governance project coordinator Zakir Hossain Khan, in a PowerPoint presentation said Bangladesh is one of countries most venerable to climate change although its carbon emission contribution rate is only 0.05 per cent.
Citing the fifth assessment report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), he said production of rice and wheat could be reduced by 8.0 per cent and 32 per cent respectively by 2050 because of salinity from a sea-level rise.
He said all the government's achievements to reduce the level of poverty could be overshadowed by global warming as the IPCC's report also forecast that overall poverty rate could be intensified by 15 per cent by 2030.
Bangladesh has already taken a number of initiatives to cope with the threats of climate change that include formation of the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF). It was funded by the Bangladesh government and the Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF), a multi-donor trust fund for climate change.  
Expressing dissatisfaction over the gap between financial promises and release of the fund made by international community to compensate their activities that lead to climate change, Zakir Hossain Khan said there was a commitment by developed countries to provide US$ 30 billion from 2010 to 2012 and US$ 100 billion per year until 2020.
"But the top global carbon emitters made a fund of only US$ 37.47 billion till June 9 last. Of the fund, only 7.2 per cent (US$2.69 billion) has so far been released," Mr Khan said.
Talking about the proposal of forming a special commission, North South University (NSU) Professor Mizanur Rahman Khan said civil society members, who are not regime-based beneficiary in any form could be included in the body for a better output.
He was also critical of forming the BCCTF, saying that lack of transparency and accountability in using the trust fund could send negative signal to the global community that can make their committed funds uncertain.
Sharmind Neelormi of Gender and Climate Change Network (GenderCC) emphasised on effectiveness of the special activities to have a much better result.
Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) Executive Director Dr. M. Monowara Hossain said projects need to be taken on a priority basis and serious focus also is required to be given to implementation quality.
"We need more research-related works on climate change impact in our country so far as issues of mitigation and adaptation are concerned," he added.