PM Hasina to inaugurate NAP Expo on 22 April: Environment minister

UN Climate Adaptation Conference National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Expo 2024 will be held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) from 22-25 April, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said.

The Expo is being organised under the supervision of the UNFCCC with the cooperation of expert groups from the least developed countries and various organisations.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell will be present at the NAP Expo.

Saber said these things at a press conference organised by his ministry on the occasion of NAP Expo 2024 on Wednesday (17 April).

A total of 383 people from 104 countries have registered with the UNFCCC to participate in NAP Expo 2024, he said.

Besides, 550 people, including representatives of various ministries, departments, and organisations in the country, climate experts, representatives of NGOs, and students, will participate. By participating in this conference, everyone will be able to mutually benefit from various issues related to the adaptation activities of different countries to deal with the impact of climate change, said the minister.

NAP Expo is an international forum where various countries, organisations, and other relevant stakeholders interact and exchange experiences in the formulation and implementation of NAP. Expert meetings will be held to discuss country experiences, best practices, implementation challenges, needs, and information on support provided and received related to the NAP formulation and implementation process, and provide an opportunity to assess the implementation progress of various NAPs, he also said.

There will be a total of 20 stalls in this conference where adaptive activities from different countries will be displayed. Also, in 16 sessions over four days, experts will discuss transformational adaptation, financial mechanisms, adaptation activity monitoring and evaluation tools, and gender-responsive adaptation, among others.

Rainwater harvesting, water harvesting through solar energy in hilly areas, climate tolerant seeds, livestock conservation, and other agricultural activities, Delta Plan activities in support of adaptation activities, cyclone shelters for climate adaptation, Mujib Killa, roads, culvert construction, climate-resilient urban management, and climate refugees will be showcased on climate adaptation topics at the 10 sites allocated for Bangladesh.

"We can also gain experience from the orientation activities displayed at foreign stalls. Various ministries and local and foreign organisations will participate in this expo to demonstrate the climate adaptation of the country," he added.

Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary (Administration) Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary (EPC) Tapan Kumar Biswas, and Director General of the Department of Environment Dr Abdul Hamid were present at the press conference, among others.