Editorial
Managing climate funds
Efficient utilisation and transparency indispensable
The efficient utilisation of climate funds has arisen as a major issue, especially taking into consideration their purpose, not to mention the large amount of allocation -- Tk. 1400 crore domestic allocation to the Climate Change Trust Fund and $10 million donors' contribution to the Climate Change Resilience Fund. The majority of it is to be spent under the management of the government with the rest allocated to non-government organisations. The key, however, is its efficient spending and transparency to go along with it. Indeed, the flow of the funds will depend on how purposefully and effectively we use it. A transparent set of guidelines is essential. The purposes, carefully identified and allotted, must be clearly delineated and the needs of the most affected and vulnerable areas must be given top priority. The implementation of projects and programmes must be rigorously supervised. Finally, an efficient monitoring and reporting mechanism to ensure that everything has been followed through must be in place. This should reach, along with the operators, the beneficiaries as well, for in this method of cross-checking will be the best form of evaluation.
Concerns about the allocation of various percentages of the funds to different bodies are already being expressed at various consultations, a form of exchange which we welcome as a means of encouraging dialogue and knowledge-sharing. We do hope that the concerns expressed in such forums will be taken into consideration and, indeed, reconsiderations made, where necessary. The management of climate change is not only an environmental but an economic, social and humanitarian issue. Any defalcation or corruption of the funds allotted for this cause should be dealt with even more culpably. It is a matter of saving the nation and its people from disaster. We now have the financial means; now we must make best use of it.
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