The government and development partners have decided to extend the Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC) project for another two years for delivering adaptation benefits to the most vulnerable coastal people of Bangladesh.
The decision came on Thursday at a virtual meeting attended by the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam, Ambassador and the Head of Delegation to the European Union to Bangladesh, Rensje Teerink, Chargé d'Affaires and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden, Christine Johansson, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
The LoGIC project, led by the Local Government Division of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, is a joint initiative of the government of Bangladesh, EU, Sweden, UNCDF, and UNDP, according to a press release.
The project was initiated in 2016 with an aim to deliver climate finance to the most vulnerable households and the local government institutions in 72 unions of Khulna, Sunamganj, Kurigram, Bagerhat, Barguna, Patuakhali, and Bhola districts.
The project is designed to support some 400,000 most climate vulnerable people under its Performance-Based Climate Resilience Grants (PBCRG) and Community Resilience Fund (CRF) schemes, says UNDP.
At the event, Minister Tazul Islam said: "LoGIC project is proven as a good system to deliver climate finance through local government institutions directly reaching the climate vulnerable people to invest on local adaptation."
Ambassador Rensje Teerink highlighted European Union's decade-long support to Bangladesh in combating climate change.
She said as EU they are supporting the government to create a system to bring climate finance to most climate- and economic- vulnerable households.
She said: "Through LoGIC, together with Sweden, UNDP, UNCDF and thanks to the strong ownership of Local Government Division this mechanism is now being put in place. The recent addition of approximately 7 million EUROES goes in the right direction and brings innovation for climate finance in Bangladesh. We look forward to continuing partnering with local government actors to ensure climate funds go where they are most needed, embracing a long-term perspective."
Christine Johansson, representing the Sweden Embassy in Bangladesh, which is also a partner of the LoGIC project, said: "Bangladesh is not just a victim of climate change; the country has also become a global leader on adaptation. LoGIC is one example. Sweden is proud to be part of the solutions with the people of Bangladesh."
Van Nguyen, the deputy resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh, stressed the importance of a collaborative approach like LoGIC to deal with the greatest threat to mankind, climate change.
"UNDP is committed to transcend the knowledge from LoGIC project across global networks. We hope to continue our global cooperation by working collaboratively with development partners and the government to help attain the LDC graduation and Sustainable Development Goals by 2030," she said.
Earlier, Saila Farzana, joint secretary, Local Government Division and the National Project director, LoGIC Project, gave the overview of the project.
Among others, Local Government Division Senior Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed and UNCDF Country Focal Point Jesmul Hasan also spoke in the virtual event.
