Australian support to fight climate impact to continue
Australia will continue supporting the programmes taken by Bangladesh to fight impacts of climate change and natural disasters, said Richard Marles, state minister of Australia, yesterday.
The programmes are Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund and the Comprehensive Disaster Management Program, says a press release from the Australian High Commission.
Marles, during a visit to the city, said, “As one of the most natural disaster-prone countries in the world, Bangladesh is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change and the growing frequency and severity of natural disasters.”
The World Disaster Report 2010 revealed that more than 154 million Bangladeshis were affected by natural disasters between 1990 and 2009.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) further noted that the projected sea level rise will directly affect the lives of 35 million people in the coastal areas of Bangladesh by 2050.
“Without risk reduction initiatives, impacts of natural disaster in Bangladesh are likely to worsen,” said Marles, also the parliamentary secretary for Pacific Island Affairs of Australia.
The Bangladesh government showed significant leadership by allocating US $200 million to help ensure that the affected communities can better adapt to climate change.
The Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund supports implementation of the Bangladesh government's Climate Change Strategy. It provides grants to national institutions for development projects that help the country adapt to climate change.
The Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme is a nationally implemented programme supported by UNDP.
“The goal of the programme is to reduce Bangladesh's vulnerability to natural disasters including cyclones, floods, tidal surges and tsunamis, through risk reduction and comprehensive disaster management activities,” said Marles.
Australia's support for Bangladesh is part of its commitment under the Copenhagen Accord to provide “fast-start” assistance to developing countries, particularly the least developed countries and small island states, between 2010 and 2012.
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