We expect major economies to do their fair share: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said that the Climate Vulnerable Forum's repeated calls for an equal distribution of climate finance between adaptation and mitigation have received little response.

"The Adaptation Fund needs to live up to expectations," she said while speaking at a High-Level Thematic Session of Climate Ambition Summit "Delivering Climate Justice: Accelerating Ambition and Implementation on Adaptation and Early Warnings for All" at the UN Headquarters.

Hasina said that as a climate justice advocate, Bangladesh stands ready to align with any constructive move that advances the agenda.

"We also expect the world's major economies to remain honest about climate change and do their fair share to avert the impending crisis," she said.

She mentioned that Bangladesh is generally considered a global leader in climate adaptation.

"We have a number of nature-based, structural, and technical solutions in place that can be replicated in other parts of the world," she said.

She mentioned that the government has released its National Adaptation Plan with a projected need for $230 billion by 2050.

"We would like to see the Adaptation Pipeline Accelerator come up with a viable model for financing and technological support," she said.

She mentioned that Bangladesh has made considerable investments in early warning systems.

She said that the government has reduced fatalities to single digits compared to the millions that perished during the Bhola Cyclone in 1970.

"We have one of the world's largest community volunteer programmes comprising 65,000 coastal people. Our latest National Plan for Disaster Management has adopted an integrated multi-hazard early warning approach," she said.

She informed that Bangladesh is using mobile technology to provide regular updates on weather forecasts.

"Bangladesh has requested the UN system to conduct a table-top exercise on nation-wide earthquake modelling," she said.

She mentioned that Bangladesh's experience demonstrates that investing in adaptation and early warning makes perfect sense.

"We hope our development partners will seize these opportunities to deliver climate justice," she added.

The prime minister said Bangladesh is working on its second satellite, Bangabandhu II, as an Earth Observatory.

"Bangladesh is willing to share its expertise with other vulnerable countries through South-South and triangular cooperation. I hope Early Warnings for All will be able to encourage MDBs and IFIs to join such efforts," she said.