Climate Change Adaptation
New study suggests finance through local govt
A new study has suggested channeling climate adaptation finance to the local government institutions for helping vulnerable communities more effectively.
“In order to truly assist vulnerable communities facing the impacts of climate change, a substantial proportion of the funding should be made available to local government institutions to support grassroots adaptation,” it says.
The research titled “Ensuring Access for the Climate Vulnerable in Bangladesh: Finance Local Adaptation” was launched at the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre yesterday.
ActionAid Bangladesh, Action Research for Community Adaptation in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies and International Centre for Climate Change and Development jointly commissioned it.
Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, chairman of Board of ActionAid Bangladesh, said a major part of climate funds was misappropriated at different levels of the government. So financing Union Parisads would be more effective, he said.
Presently, the Bangladesh government and donors have made climate finance available primarily to two destinations--Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund and Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund.
A major portion of these funds goes to the government agencies, while small grants to the NGOs through Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation.
The study says finance flowing from developed countries should first go to the national government through a streamlined system. The money should not stop there, but a substantial proportion of it should go to the local government institutions, it adds.
Dhaka University Professor Salauddin M Aminuzzaman, however, said, "Monitoring and evaluation is not yet in place at local government level and that hinders transparency and accountability in adaptation planning." Climate change expert Dr Saleemul Huq said the more the country was transparent and accountable in spending climate funds, the higher the amount of fund would be available for Bangladesh.
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