The original article was published by The Financial Express in Bangladesh on 12 March, 2021. Click here to read the article on its original platform.

Nature-based innovation is needed for the resilience of communities against the threat of climate change in Bangladesh, experts observed. They also discussed how the Climate Innovation Challenge (CIC) can best support innovators to deploy scalable and transferable tech solutions.

The CIC is a pool of US$2.0 million in funding that aims to spur disruptive technologies for climate resilience in South Asia, they mentioned.

They gave the observations at a national consultation programme organised by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) held on Thursday night in the city where experts from some Asian countries joined virtually.

Experts also emphasised the needs for cutting-edge technology solutions to address climate change challenges.

The consultation brought together Members of Parliament, Government officials from various Ministries, and representatives from the private sector. Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Member of Parliament, opened the consultation with his keynote address.

He said that the CIC is a great opportunity for young innovators to test their ideas and solutions for the greater good.

“Bangladesh has emerged as a leader in climate change adaptation and resilience and also in disaster preparedness and response in the world. Focusing on the nature-based solution (NbS) and local-level technology to adapt to climate change will not only save lives but also help communities adapt to the vagaries of weather,” he said.

Mr Aslam Perwaiz, Deputy Executive Director of ADPC, said that it is crucial to understand the needs of countries in South Asia before inviting innovators to submit their proposals.

“After conducting a series of needs assessment consultations in South Asia, ADPC will launch a call for proposals. Each eligible innovator would be able to access a maximum of US$150,000 to pilot their innovations regionally and/or in their selected countries,” he said.

The tech solutions will support governments’ and communities’ adaptations to climate change in numerous sectors including agriculture, water resources management, resilient infrastructure, policy and planning, and so on, he added.

The CIC is administered by ADPC and the fund is supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the World Bank under a 5-year regional project on ‘Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CARE) for South Asia’.