Bangladesh to receive $30 million from CIF to tackle climate impacts

Bangladesh is set to receive $30 million in financing from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) to tackle the adverse impacts of climate change in its coastal region and build resilience.

Bangladesh is among five countries initially considered for the financing. The money will be spent on strengthening coastal infrastructure and expanding climate-friendly agricultural activities.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintu announced the information on Friday (November 13) at a press conference of the Bangladesh delegation at the UN climate conference COP31 in Antalya, Turkey.

The briefing was held at 3pm local time in Press Conference Room-1, Zone D-3 of the conference's Blue Zone. It was jointly organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam, MP Mansura Akhter, and Additional Secretary Mohammad Navid Shafiullah were present at the press conference.

Abdul Awal Mintu said Bangladesh's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is less than 0.5 percent, yet Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Cyclones, floods, rising salinity and heatwaves are threatening people's lives and livelihoods, agriculture, infrastructure and development gains, he said.

He said that according to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) updated 2026 data, the global average temperature from January to September was about 1.47 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial era.

The environment minister said that despite limited resources and capacity, Bangladesh is taking ambitious steps to tackle climate change. Under Bangladesh's third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), the country has set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6.39 percent through its own capacity and by an additional 13.92 percent subject to international support by 2035, compared with a business-as-usual scenario.

To achieve this target, he said, work is proceeding on expanding renewable energy, rooftop solar power generation, tree planting, canal restoration, strengthening early warning systems and community-based adaptation activities.

On climate finance, the minister said it is essential to ensure the financing pledged by developed countries to tackle the impacts of climate change. The Least Developed Countries group has demanded that adaptation finance be tripled to $120 billion a year before 2035, and Bangladesh supports that demand, he said.

He also said the process of receiving money from the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility and the Adaptation Fund must be simplified, and opportunities for direct and grant-based financing for climate-vulnerable countries need to be increased.

On loss and damage caused by climate change, he said it is no longer a future fear but a present reality. The funds available in the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage are insufficient compared with the project proposals submitted, he said, calling for increased contributions from developed countries, simpler access and quick disbursement.

On the progress of talks at COP31, Abdul Awal Mintu said discussions on various important issues had advanced in the first four days, but final agreement had not yet been reached on several matters. Bangladesh is working in coordination with the LDC group, the G77 and China and other partner countries to achieve an ambitious, just and balanced outcome, he said.