Staff Correspondent

 Bangladesh has called upon developed nations and global stakeholders to ensure accessible climate financing, technology transfer, and institutional capacity-building to support biodiversity conservation in developing countries.

The call was delivered by Dr. Fahmida Khanam, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and head of the Bangladesh delegation, during the high-level segment of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) held at the Aragats Plenary Hall in Yerevan, Armenia, on Tuesday evening.

Presenting the national statement, Dr. Fahmida Khanam highlighted that Bangladesh’s terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine ecosystems support nearly 14,000 species. 

Detailing national efforts, Dr. Khanam stated that Bangladesh is prioritizing whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). 

Under this framework, Bangladesh has submitted 23 national targets comprising 107 specific action plans focused on ecosystem restoration, spatial planning, expansion of protected areas, and invasive alien species management.

She announced that the interim government has launched an initiative to plant and nurture 250 million new trees by 2031 using ecosystem-based approaches to boost biodiversity recovery, enhance local climate resilience, and secure sustainable livelihoods.

Reviewing regulatory alignment, Dr. Khanam noted that Bangladesh has been re-evaluating its institutional frameworks following its implementation of the Nagoya Protocol since 2023. She emphasized that capacity-building and specialized training remain critical for monitoring National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), as well as managing Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic resources and synthetic biology.

Under Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention, Bangladesh urged developed nations to provide simplified, direct-access funding and technical assistance to strengthen scientific data production and  monitoring framework. 

The high-level session was attended by environment ministers, diplomats, representatives of international agencies, climate experts, and media delegates from around the world.