Bangladesh tops the World Bank list of the ‘Most Vulnerable Countries’ to climate change and the prospects of climate change effects have massive economic, social and political implications for the country. Realising this, Bangladesh was among the first countries worldwide to prepare a comprehensive Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan and earmarked USD 100 million from its budget for adaptation and mitigation measures. In response to Bangladesh’s commitment, the Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF) was established in May 2010, with the GoB as main implementer, the World Bank as fund administrator and UK, EU, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Australia and the US as contributing bilateral Development Partners that together have currently committed about USD 170 million. With the financial contribution of an additional CHF 8 million proposed here, Switzerland’s contribution will amount to about 4% of the BCCRF.

The overall goal of the BCCRF is to support the implementation of the national Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2010-18, which aims at building a climate resilient and low carbon economy and society in Bangladesh. At the same time, the BCCRF is building in-country capacity to deal with climate change adaptation/mitigation and establishes a viable and“single-entry” mechanism for handling and absorbing future CC Fund flows, not least from the emerging Green Climate Fund (GCF) and other global funds such as the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the Adaptation Fund (AF). The subsidiary goal of Swiss participation in the BCCRF is to live up – at Bangladesh country level – to the Swiss pledges made in the UNFCCC negotiations, by an adequate burden sharing in the key in-country CC funding mechanism. Swiss participation will allow to influence this mechanism and help assure that its activities are strategic, sufficiently community-based and poverty-oriented.

The BCCRF will benefit an estimated 30 million people threatened by adverse effects of climate change, whereas the needs of the poor and vulnerable, especially women and children, will be prioritised. The BCCRF will also strengthen government and civil society capacities for CC management and the implementation of adaptation and mitigation activities. It is intended that full fund management responsibilities will be transferred to GoB by 2018.

The BCCRF finances interventions with the objectives of the BCCSAP and thereby contribute to improved food security and health, comprehensive DRR, climate-resilient infrastructure, an increased knowledge base, promote low carbon development, and build capacities of GoB and NGOs to deal with CC adaptation and mitigation. Interventions will help to better secure the livelihoods of population groups most vulnerable to CC, in particular marginalized women and children.

Resultate von früheren Phasen:  

The BCCRF has been established and is now operational. Its structure and procedures have been set up, and USD 157 million (90%) has been allocated to 6 projects corresponding to fund criteria. As the 1st sub-project has been signed only in August 2011, and many only in 2012, funded projects are under implementation concrete field level results are not yet available, apart from the completion of a range of cyclone shelters. It is however important that further project identification, appraisal and financing can continue with additional funds. The establishment and capacity development for the Secretariat in the GoB have been slow, and a comprehensive (rather than project-level) results framework and monitoring system are only being finalized now.

Phase 2 01.12.2012 - 31.12.2016   (Completed)