National Dialogue on From Paris to Antalya: Reflections on Climate Finance for Nature & Launch of the NGPP
Planning should start from the bottom level, not in the palatial buildings of the Planning Ministry.
Organised in collaboration with WaterAid Bangladesh, with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the dialogue brought together parliamentarians, policymakers, senior government representatives and officials, policy and technical experts, private-sector representatives, civil society leaders, researchers, community representatives and development partners to advance evidence-informed dialogue on climate, nature, water and local governance.
Ahead of COP31, discussions outlined how Bangladesh can secure grant-based finance without deepening climate debt, protect ecosystems that sustain resilience, and translate global commitments into accountable local action and climate-resilient public services.
The newly launched NGPP will connect community evidence, research and expertise with policymakers. Change Initiative will serve as its technical secretariat, with public hearings planned to bring grassroots voices directly into its work.
Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan, Hon’ble Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, emphasised grassroots priorities and effective use of resources as Chief Guest at Change Initiative’s national dialogue held on 15 October 2026 in Dhaka.
M. Zakir Hossain Khan, Co- Founder and Chief Executive of Change Initiative, moderated the dialogue, highlighting nature’s essential role in people’s lives: “I need oxygen, I need fresh water, I cannot negotiate on that.” On launching the Nature and Governance Policy Platform (NGPP), he said: “And for those joining today as NGPP members, this is not the end, this is the opening.”
Diepak Elmer, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, said: “Climate and nature finance deliver results when institutions are capable, responsibilities are clear, decisions are informed by evidence, and people have a voice in shaping priorities.”
Mansura Akter, MP, stressed grassroots participation: “I believe that if we cannot connect ordinary people and grassroots-level people with these types of initiatives, then all our efforts will fail.”
Dr. Farhina Ahmed, former Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, urged an integrated response: “There is no way to deal with this triple planetary crisis climate, nature, and pollution separately.”
Dr. Fazle Rabbi Sadeque Ahmed, climate change and development expert, affirmed: “It is our right to get financing, particularly for adaptation and loss and damage.”
Farah Kabir, Country Director, ActionAid Bangladesh, called for connected priorities: “We need to have an integrated water security, food security, and biodiversity protection plan.”
Financing nature. Securing climate. Connecting global finance to local action.
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