Environmental sustainability has for many years been a major concern for Denmark. Danish Development assistance and all development programmes are analysed for potential environmental impacts, including climate change proofing. In Bangladesh, Denmark is providing support to a number of climate change adaptation initiatives in cooperation with government agencies, NGOs and other international organisations.

Climate change is a global problem that affects people locally, having a direct influence on achieving the Millennium Development Goals – fighting poverty and meeting development objectives. Denmark’s focus is on reducing the emissions and identifying the coping mechanism for surviving climate change. This is especially important in developing countries, like Bangladesh, as these are the ones most affected by climate change. 

In 2005 it was decided that all Danish Funded programmes should be assessed to ensure that risks from climate change are addressed in the design and the implementation of the programmes and projects. Climate screening has been carried out in 17 countries including Bangladesh, where a detailed Climate Management plan has been chalked out for the Agriculture and Water sector. These plans reviewed the existing policies, strategies of the Government of Bangladesh and also the ongoing country programme and provided sector specific recommendations on how to integrate climate change issues in the two sector programmes.

Denmark also supports the formulation and revision process of the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan by Government of Bangladesh as well as strengthening the capacity of Bangladesh for participating in e.g. last year’s COP15 and other international events for climate negotiations. Within assistance to Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction the Danish Embassy has initiated two projects in 2008 along with international and national NGOs and other technical organizations. 

One being the “Support to the National Flood Forecasting and Warning Services” project contributes to establishing a sustainable national capacity for the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, to forecast and disseminate warnings and information of salinity intrusion in the Coastal Belt of Bangladesh. Further, the project seeks to improve the understanding of the potential impact of climate change on the hydrology in the Ganges-Meghna-Brahmaputra Basin and its consequences on floods and draughts in Bangladesh. 

The second being, “Assistance to local communities on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangladesh” project selected climate change adaptation options in three districts prone to flood, drought, salinity and sea level raise. 

An important element in both projects is to generate, document and disseminate critical knowledge on community’s adaptation with more severe flooding and salinity intrusion/cyclone, brought about by climate change in Bangladesh. Both these projects will continue into 2010.  

The Embassy of Denmark has also launched some new projects in 2009 with renowned development organizations. E.g. one project with IUCN which aims to enhance capacity of Bangladesh (Government Officials, Member of Parliament, Civil Society, Journalists and other relevant groups) for participation in the Road to Copenhagen negotiations and the enhancement of capacity in Post-Copenhagen regime. Also a project with Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies focuses on building mass awareness on climate change and related disasters, through programmes to be telecasted on National Television. And finally a project to study the CC-DRR situation in Northeast region of Bangladesh has been started. Source>>