United initiatives of vulnerable countries vital to tackle climate impact: State Minister Faridul
Staff Correspondent
State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam has emphasized the urgent need for united initiatives among climate-vulnerable nations to combat the adverse impacts of global climate change.
Addressing the inaugural high-level policy dialogue titled "Living Waters, Shared Rights: Climate Resilience through Natural Rights-Led Governance" at the Bangladesh Pavilion on the opening day of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, on Monday afternoon.
Organized by Change Initiative in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland and WaterAid Bangladesh, the dialogue focused on natural rights-led water governance, protection of transboundary rivers, and climate resilience. Change Initiative Co-founder and Chief Executive M. Zakir Hossain Khan presented the keynote paper, highlighting that Bangladesh shares 54 transboundary rivers with India and noting that the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty is set to expire on December 12, 2026.
The event was attended by Member of Parliament and Core Member of the Nature and Governance Policy Platform (NGPP) Monsura Akter, MP; Head of the Drinking Water Department at Türkiye's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mustafa Berk Duygu; Head of Adaptation and Resilience at Climate Investment Funds Chitembo Kawimbe Chunga; and International Water Management Institute Nepal Representative Dr. Manohara Khadka, alongside international climate experts and indigenous representatives from Bangladesh and Chile.
