Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Charlotta Schlyter today visited Deluti Union Parishad of Paikgacha upazila of the district to see the initiative of Gender Responsive Climate Change Adaptation.
The visiting team also included Counselor and Head of Development Cooperation in Swedish Embassy, Bangkok Anne-Charlotte Malm, Controller of Swedish Embassy, Bangkok G”ran Schill and Controller of Swedish Embassy, Dhaka Reazul Islam and representatives from UNDP, a press release said here.
Bangladesh is considered as one of the most climate vulnerable countries and women in hard to reach areas, like Deluti union are among the most vulnerable and are at greatest risk of climate related hazards.
UNDP in collaboration with the Finance Division has been working to address this challenge through the increasing flow to climate finance.
The Inclusive Budgeting and Financing for Climate Resilience (IBFCR) funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency- (SIDA) and UNDP are working to consider women in national strategy for climate change and implement the local climate action plan to demonstrate gender-responsive climate actions at local level.
The team visited the project and met a group of vulnerable women and learned about how the women are becoming the change makers and fighting climate change with support from UNDP and SIDA.
Under the project women are trained on alternative livelihoods like crab fattening, alternative agri-system like hydroponics. They are also provided with a “Women Centre” under this project for training and other purposes.
Charlotta Schlyter, during her visit, has applauded the initiative of the women with support from the Union Parishad and UNDP, SIDA for their measures to tackle climate change.
She said, “Women take care of their families in this male-dominated society and usually don’t appear in public. As Bangladesh is hard hit by global warming, it needs the support of women to fight and adapt to climate change.”
Being a feminist government, she said, “Sweden will continue its support for the vulnerable women in Bangladesh.”
The team also visited Bainpara of Sutarkhali in Dakop upazila to see the Disaster Resilience Habitat made by the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) of UNDP after cyclone ‘Sidr’, reports BSS from Khulna.
