Agrilife24.com:The Ministry of Finance and Bangladesh Bank, in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA), convened the national inception workshop of the Inclusive Climate Finance for Vulnerable Communities in Asia-Pacific (ICCAP) project at NEC-2, Planning Commission, Dhaka.
Funded by Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI), ICCAP is a five-year regional initiative jointly implemented by APRACA, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), and Appui au Développement Autonome (ADA). The project aims to strengthen equitable access to climate adaptation finance for Bangladesh’s most vulnerable populations, including smallholder farmers, women, and marginalised communities.
The workshop served as a collaborative platform, bringing together high-level representatives from government, financial institutions, development partners, and civil society to advance policy coherence and stakeholder ownership. Distinguished speakers included the Hon’ble Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Dr. Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Secretary ERD Mr. Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank Ms. Nurun Nahar, and APRACA Secretary General Mr. Prasun Kumar Das.
Mr. AKM Sohel, Additional Secretary and Chief of the UN Wing at the Economic Relations Division (ERD), delivered the welcome address and moderated the workshop with strategic clarity and institutional insight. His facilitation underscored the importance of aligning ICCAP’s objectives with national climate priorities and emphasized smart implementation pathways to ensure the project’s success.
Key sessions highlighted ICCAP’s Work Package 1, led by APRACA, focusing on policy analysis and stakeholder engagement. Dr. Shahrina Akhtar, APRACA’s National Consultant for Bangladesh, presented the national roadmap and 2025 work plan, outlining strategic priorities to align climate finance with Bangladesh’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). ADA and SEI shared insights on product development, green finance taxonomies, and best regional practices.
Discussions addressed policy gaps, regulatory barriers, and opportunities to scale climate finance solutions. Stakeholders emphasized the urgency of channeling resources to the grassroots level and pledged collaborative action.
APRACA Secretary General Mr. Prasun Kumar Das remarked, Climate finance must not remain a distant promise. Together, we must ensure it reaches those most vulnerable to climate impacts and enables them to adapt with dignity and security.
The event concluded with renewed pledges to advance inclusive climate finance and align ICCAP’s roadmap with Bangladesh’s national climate strategies.
