Bangladesh has moved to strengthen adaptation finance capacity in its financial sector through a five-day masterclass jointly organised by Bangladesh Bank, the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management and the Global Center on Adaptation, organisers said.
The Gender-Responsive Masterclass on Adaptation Finance was held recently at the BIBM campus in Dhaka and brought together 30 participants from BIBM, commercial banks and non-bank financial institutions. The programme focused on integrating climate adaptation considerations into financial decision-making.
Training sessions were delivered by faculty members from Bangladesh Bank and BIBM, alongside senior banking practitioners. The initiative followed a Training of Trainers programme conducted in November 2024, under which the Global Center on Adaptation, supported by the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, prepared national trainers to deliver adaptation finance curricula on an institutionalised basis.
At the closing ceremony, GCA Senior Programme Officer M Mosleh Uddin outlined the training outcomes and said climate risk and resilience considerations must be embedded into core financial practices to strengthen long-term stability.
Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Nurun Nahar said coordinated national action was essential to improving access to climate finance, adding that resilience depends on well-designed and adequately financed adaptation strategies supported by policymakers, financial institutions, development partners and communities.
Adaptation has become a core banking concern, said ERD Additional Secretary and Wing Chief A K M Sohel, warning that financial institutions risk missing future investment opportunities if climate considerations are not integrated into lending and investment decisions.
Bangladesh Bank Sustainable Finance Department Director Chowdhury Liakat Ali said climate change poses material financial risks by increasing credit risk and disrupting economic activity, particularly in agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises and vulnerable communities.
GCA Global Lead Adele Cadario said adaptation finance should be seen as an economic opportunity rather than charity, noting its role in building resilience while creating viable market opportunities.
In closing remarks, GCA Country Representative Rita Loahani reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh through institutionalised capacity-building aligned with national priorities.
The event was chaired by BIBM Director General Ezazul Islam, who described adaptation as an urgent development necessity and highlighted the role of the financial sector in translating climate ambition into bankable investment.
Following the pilot programme, BIBM plans to institutionalise and regularly offer the masterclass to financial institutions nationwide to support adaptation investments aligned with national priorities, organisers said.
