The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) presented Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the Local Adaptation Champions honor today. Bangladesh was the inaugural recipient of this honor, given for its pioneering work in establishing local adaptation programs to address the effects of climate change.
The Prime Minister received the award today from GCA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen during a courtesy call at her official Ganabhaban residence here.
“Bangladesh has won the award for its leading role in taking locally formulated climate adaptation programme,” PM’s Press Secretary Md Nayeemul Islam Khan told a news briefing.
He said the Bangladesh Prime Minister will be in the process of selecting the next awardee according to the rule of GCA as her country won the award this time.
Bangladesh, the first government to receive the global Local Adaptation Champions Award, won in the Innovation in Devolving Finance category for the Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC).
After receiving the award, the Premier said, “I am deeply honored to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the Government and people of Bangladesh, whose unwavering resilience and innovative spirit have always guided us through natural adversities.”
“This recognition underscores our commitment to sustainable development and climate resilience, and we are grateful for the Global Center on Adaptation’s invaluable support in our journey towards a prosperous and resilient future,” she continued.
Verkooijen was briefed by the prime minister on the steps her government had taken to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Nayeemul Islam stated, paraphrasing the Prime Minister, “We have established the climate trust fund with our own finances.”
Both the Prime Minister and the CEO of GCA concurred that wealthy nations had failed to fulfill their commitments to contribute their promised funds to the climate fund in order to assist developing nations that were at risk from climate change.
Verkooijen appreciated the Bangladesh Prime Minister for her role to provide money from the climate fund in different international programmes and requested her to be more vocal to this demand.
He urged the Prime Minister to take prompt measures to release money from the climate fund of Denmark, otherwise the money will be sent back by December.
The GCA has suggested creating a famous floating office surrounded by nature next to Dhaka, similar to its Rotterdam headquarters in the Netherlands, which attracted attention from all over the world for being so distinctive.
In deciding where to locate the office, the prime minister proposed looking both inside and outside of Dhaka.
Verkooijen valued the prime minister’s involvement in combating climate change and the locally created adaption plans to deal with it.
“I was encouraged by your role to this end. Wherever I go, I refer to Bangladesh and you (PM) for climate adaptation. So, you may consider me as your envoy,” Nayeemul Islam quoted the CEO of GCA as saying.
PM’s Ambassador-at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, Mohammad Salahuddin, among others, were present.
