US to double climate fund for Bangladesh

USA is going to more than double its financial assistance in the coming financial year to help Bangladesh addresses challenges of climate change, reports UNB.
United States Climate Envoy Ambassador Todd Stern disclosed it when he met Bangladesh Speaker Abdul Hamid Advocate, MP, and accompanying delegation in the US State Department on Tuesday.
Ambassador Todd Stern appreciated Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her leadership in the Copenhagen Summit (COP 15), saying that without leadership like that of Prime Minister Hasina, COP-15 wouldn''t have eventually turned out positive.
Speaker Abdul Hamid thanked Ambassador Stern for their continued support and hoped that US will work with other donor countries as well, to channel more resources through multilateral forum.
Ambassador Stern added that projected assistance of US$14 million in the coming financial year is in addition to what they are planning to channel to Bangladesh through multilateral channels.
United States allocated US$6.00 million in the current financial year for Bangladesh.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, who is also Chairman of Committee on Climate and Environment of All Party Parliament Group (AAPG), elaborated on elements of Bangladesh''s strategy to face challenges of climate change and showed how Bangladesh is way ahead in terms of mitigation and adaptation practices.
Saber emphasized on the need to broader international support structure to make more resources available to countries like Bangladesh.
Ambassador Stern assured that they are aware of Bangladesh''s exemplary works in facing the challenges of climate change and accordingly, the US is also working with other partner countries to help Bangladesh to face the challenge of climate change.
The meeting was also attended by Ambassador to USA and State Minister Akramul Qader, Abdul Momin Talukder, MP, Reza Ali, MP, Ishrafil Alam, MP, Shampad Barua, PS to speaker, and Shishir Shill, Secretary General of AAPG.