Bridging climate science with climate finance: Training on Adaptation Finance-Enabling Direct Access to the Green Climate Fund in Bangladesh
D
haka, Bangladesh, 11 November 2023 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) successfully delivered the Training on Adaptation Finance: Enabling Direct Access to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Bangladesh (Phase I: Climate science in climate finance), held from 5-7 November 2023 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
This training brought together representatives from various public organizations, including the Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Department of Environment (DOE), Department of Disaster Management (DDM), Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD), and Bangladesh Bank. Participants also included existing and potential Direct Access Entities of the GCF such as the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), BRAC, Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), along with other private sector stakeholders.
One of the main challenges for successfully accessing GCF finance is demonstrating a compelling climate rationale in funding proposals. A large number of proposals, submitted for GCF approval, were not endorsed by the Independent Technical Advisory Panel (ITAP) on the grounds of insufficient demonstration of a climate rationale. To improve its capabilities of accessing GCF finance, Bangladesh needs to ensure sustainable technical capacity on this climate rationale and other related matters across the entire fund-access ecosystem. The training was aimed at helping participants understand how technical aspects of climate science and adaptation measures can be integrated into GCF projects.
During the event, attendees explored and discussed the GCF-WMO initiatives on climate science information, development of climate rationale and Theory of Change, barrier analysis and component design, grant rationale for adaptation, implementation modality and exit strategy. Through case studies and role-play exercises, participants gained practical knowledge and skills on how to develop ToC in line with climate rationale for specific climatic situation. Experience sharing sessions from UNDP, PKSF and LGED also enriched the understanding of how Bangladesh is implementing the approved GCF adaptation projects.
Participants reported having a better understanding of climate science and its alignment with GCF after the training, with expressed interest in exploring next phases of the training on details modalities of GCF proposal development.
“I certainly welcome this initiative; this capacity building and of course I would like to thank Global Center on Adaptation. This is also an institution that we want to build up. I think there is capacity for us to be a global center of excellence. we are of course at frontline of climate change. So, what another better laboratory than Bangladesh to see what are the impacts of climate change firsthand” said Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, Special Envoy to Honorable Prime Minister for Climate Change and Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change during the inauguration program.
Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Anna Balance, Senior Climate and Environment Advisor, British High Commission, Dhaka and Alamgir Morshed, Executive Director & CEO, IDCOL were also present.
An interactive panel discussion was followed on climate adaptation finance landscape: global and Bangladesh perspective during the inauguration. Several key experts on climate finance across the country attended the program. The program included with the hope of development of sustainable capacity building to access more adaptation funding for Bangladesh.
The training is part of the capacity-building initiatives delivered through the Technical Assistance Program (TAP) as a core implementation vehicle of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) to access and leverage climate adaptation finance. AAAP was developed in partnership with the African Development Bank to mobilize USD25 billion by 2025 for adaptation and resilience investments.
