The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has sought a total of Tk 9.0 billion from the government as non-availability of fund has badly affected different programmes concerning climate change.
Activities of the Climate Change Trust Fund under the MoEF were being hampered in the absence of the fund required, a senior MoEF official said.
"For this, the fund is urgently needed for continuing the projects under the trust fund" he said.
Of the amount sought for the Climate Change Trust Fund, the MoEF sought an allocation of Tk 2.0 billion for the current fiscal year (FY) in the Revised Annual Development programme (RADP) and Tk 7.0 billion for the upcoming FY, officials said.
Anwar Hossain Manju, minister of the MoEF, sent a letter to Finance Minister AMA Muhith seeking the allocation recently.
Bangladesh is the first of the developing countries to have a combined work plan to face the negative impact of climate change. The government has formed the climate change trust fund for implementation of the work plan, sources say.
The government allocated Tk 27.0 billion for the trust fund over the last fiscal year, according to the MoEF data.
About Tk 7.02 billion or 34 per cent of the amount has been deposited in the form of fixed deposit. Besides, 282 projects have been undertaken involving Tk 19.97 billion or 66 per cent of the amount under the Climate Change Trust Act-2010. About 31 of the projects have already been completed, statistics shows.
The projects taken so far to fight the negative impact of climate change are being praised at home and abroad, sources say.
A Climate Change Trustee Board conducts overall activities under the fund. The board comprises 10 ministers.
About Tk 7.0 billion, Tk 7.0 billion, Tk 7.0 billion and Tk 4.0 billion had been allocated for the FY 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-2012 and 2012-13 respectively. But only Tk 2.0 billion has been allocated for it in the current fiscal.
Presently the number of such projects has increased, but the allocation is decreasing, sources say.
Over the last few years the country had been able to change its image in the area of the fight against climate change by emerging one of the most adaptive countries from one of the most vulnerable countries, an environmentalist said.
For this, the government should allocate the required amount of fund to continue its activities, he added.
