DoE signs deals to expand climate adaptation in CHT, Barind
The Department of Environment (DoE) signed two agreements with the Forest Department and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) to expand locally led climate adaptation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Barind region.
The DoE office in Dhaka signed the memorandums of understanding today with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), according to a press release.
The agreements were signed under the "Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Sustainable Development Pathways of Bangladesh" project.
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The Global Environment Facility-Least Developed Countries Fund finances the project, and the DoE implements it with technical support from UNDP.
DoE Director General and Additional Secretary Dr Md Lutfar Rahman said the agreements represented a commitment to concrete action for climate-vulnerable communities.
"By combining DoE's oversight with the specialised expertise of the Forest Department and BMDA, we are ensuring that climate adaptation reaches the grassroots effectively, transparently and sustainably," he said.
Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury stressed the importance of ecosystem restoration in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
"Through this agreement, the Forest Department will use its technical expertise and field presence to restore natural watersheds and Village Common Forests, placing local indigenous communities at the centre of forest stewardship," he said.
BMDA Executive Director Md Jahangir Alam Khan said the authority would use its experience in the Barind region to deliver sustainable water-management solutions.
He said the partnership would provide local farmers with climate-smart irrigation, combat soil degradation and protect agricultural livelihoods against severe drought.
UNDP Bangladesh Assistant Resident Representative Sarder M Asaduzzaman said the partnerships supported the government's priorities on sustainable afforestation and water-resource management, and could create an adaptation model that can be replicated across Bangladesh.
The initiatives could create an adaptation model that can be replicated across Bangladesh, he added.
Under the partnerships, adaptation activities will focus on Rangamati and Naogaon districts.
In Kaptai and Barkal, the Forest Department will restore 90 hectares of Village Common Forests and develop 115 hectares of agroforestry under a Tk2.52 crore initiative from August 2026 to May 2028.
In drought-prone Sapahar and Mahadevpur, BMDA will undertake climate-smart irrigation, restore water bodies and develop 85 hectares of afforestation under a Tk10.44 crore programme from August 2026 to June 2028.
SD Pathways Project Director Md Khaled Hasan also invited participants to the event.
Running from July 2024 to June 2028, the project aims to integrate climate resilience into development planning and community practices across five highly vulnerable agro-ecological zones in Bangladesh.
