Tk 25,125cr proposed to tackle climate crisis

The government has set an allocation of Tk 25, 124.98 crore, which is 7.26pc of the total budget to 25 ministries for preventing the adverse impacts of climate-induced hazards and for adaptation and mitigation.

However, government has set an allocation of Tk 346,106.40 crore to these ministries and divisions, according to a climate budget report titled “Climate Financing for Sustainable Development: Budget Report 2021-22,” published by the Finance Ministry.

Starting with six relevant ministries and divisions in FY2017-18, the report covered 25 ministries and divisions in FY2021-22. This proposed allocation is Tk 2,185.53 crore more than the revised budget and 1, 049.29 crore more than the proposed budget for FY2020-21.

However, the amount has increased but the percentage reduced. Allocation in the climate crisis was 7.48pc of the total allocation for 25 ministries in proposed budget in F2020-2021. This year, it reduced to 7.26pc. The government allocated Tk 24, 075.69 crore in proposed and Tk 22, 939.45 crore in the revised budget in FY2020-21.

The climate relevant allocation for operating budget decreased from 7.46 percent in FY2017-18 to 6.26 percent in FY2021-22 while that for development budget decreased from 8.59 percent to 8.16 percent over the same period.

“While the frequency of natural disasters and adverse impacts is increasing over the period that warrants more allocations and efficiency as well. However, that is absent in climate budget, there are significant gaps in vulnerability-based allocations as well as poor efficiency in utilization of funds”, said M Zakir Hossain Khan, honorary executive director of climate change initiatives.

“As one of the most climate vulnerable countries, Bangladesh should put more focus on the accountability and integrity of vulnerability-based prioritization in the allocations and expenses of all climate funds with the active participation of the community at the grounds” he added.

Food security, social protection, health and infrastructure getting the priority as 39 percent of the money will be expended to food security, social protection and health, 26pc in infrastructure, 17pc in mitigation and low carbon development, 8pc in comprehensive disaster management, 6pc in capacity building and institutional strengthening and 4 pc in research and knowledge management.

Ministries and departments to get money

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,  Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Local Government Division, Ministry of Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Ministry of Land, Ministry of Industries, Health Services Division, Power Division, Ministry of Food, Secondary and Higher Education Division, Ministry of Social Welfare, Road Transport and Highways Division, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Textiles and Jute, Ministry of Science and Technology and Technical and Madrasa Education Division.