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Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo on Thursday stressed the importance of blue carbon finance in protecting coastal communities and strengthening Bangladesh’s delta economy, calling for greater regional cooperation to address climate challenges.
Speaking at an international session titled Accelerating Integrated Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific: Regional Cooperation for Blue Carbon Finance, jointly organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Landscape Alliance at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, the minister urged the international community to recognise blue carbon ecosystems as climate, community and development assets.
Referring to World Bank estimates, Mintoo said cyclones inflict average annual losses of around US$1 billion in Bangladesh.
He also warned that climate change could force nearly 13.3 million people in Bangladesh to migrate internally by 2050, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen climate resilience.
In this context, he described the country’s mangrove forests and coastal wetlands as critical national climate infrastructure rather than merely environmental resources.
Mintoo said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has prioritised climate action and set a target of planting 250 million trees across the country over the next five years to enhance environmental sustainability and resilience.
Highlighting the interconnected nature of the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean ecosystems, he said countries including Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Indonesia face common threats such as cyclones, sea-level rise and coastal erosion.
He stressed the need for stronger regional collaboration in developing blue carbon mapping, harmonised carbon measurement systems and regional carbon markets, adding that ESCAP could play a key coordinating role in these initiatives.
The session was attended by environment ministers and senior representatives from several countries, including Pakistan’s Environment Minister Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal, Maldives’ Environment Minister Ali Shareef and ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, alongside international delegates.