Photo: Courtesy
Metropolis Report –
Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen thanked the Egyptian Presidency of COP27 for having included the critical issue of ‘loss and damage’ as part of the Conference agenda. He conveyed this during his meeting with the Egyptian Foreign Minister and COP27 President Sameh Shoukry in Sharm El Sheikh yesterday. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister hoped that the Conference would be able to come up with a concrete deliverable on financing for loss and damage.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister expressed his interest in visiting Bangladesh in the near future. The Ministers agreed to strengthen Parliamentary engagements between the two sides.
Foreign Minister Momen also met with the US President’s Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry to discuss possible outcomes on loss and damage. They had a combined meeting later with other representatives from V20 (Vulnerable Twenty Group of Finance Ministers) currently led by Ghana.
The US Special Envoy thanked Bangladesh for joining the Global Methane Pledge and referred to certain financing windows available for taking action on methane reduction. Minister Momen stressed the need for such support in the agriculture, livestock, and waste management sectors in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Foreign Minister appreciated the US support for climate-resilient agriculture and renewable energy grid network. They agreed to work towards making the Global Shield for Climate Risks launched the day before a success.
Earlier in the day, Minister Momen met with the Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers. They discussed the possible role of the Champions Group on Water to address climate change impacts on the water at the UN Water Conference to be held next year.
The two Ministers also exchanged views on implementing projects under the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100.
The Bangladesh Ambassador to Egypt Md. Monirul Islam and the Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Md. Abdul Muhith were present at the meetings.
Foreign Minister Momen attended as Chief Guest a side event organized by the Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies of the Independent University of Bangladesh at the Bangladesh Pavilion. The event titled “Addressing Climate Change through Regional Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal” was presided over by Ambassador Tariq A. Karim.
In his remarks, Momen endorsed the recommendation of working together with other Bay of Bengal countries to address adverse climate change impacts like loss of mangrove forests, marine litter, and plastics, sound pollution, shrinking of coral reefs, and newly identified ‘dead zone’.
Among others, Ambassador Md. Abdul Muhith and climate expert Dr. Saleemul Huq spoke as panelists at the event.
Minister Momen was also present as the Guest of Honour at a side event organized by the Local Government Division at the Bangladesh Pavilion on “Locally-led Adaptation through Local Governance and Innovative Climate Financing”. The event focused on the LoGIC project supported by UNDP, UNCDF, EU, and SIDA.
Momen underscored the importance of enhancing financing for adaptation in climate-vulnerable countries, and the need for public sector support to encourage the private sector to invest in adaptation.
The Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Md. Shahab Uddin and Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation Md. Atiqul Islam also spoke at the event as Chief Guest and Special Guest respectively.
