Environment Minister had important meetings with US State Department officials in Washington DC

UsaNewsOnline : On April 16 Minister for Environment and Forest Dr. Hasan Mahmud, MP held a series of meetings in Washington, D.C. with high level officials of the US Department of State and USAID. Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Mr. Akramul Qader accompanied the Minister in the meetings.

In the morning, Minister Hasan Mahmud met with USAID Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg at the USAID headquarters. While appreciating USAID’s continuous engagement with Bangladesh in combating adverse impact of climate change, he offered a run-down on the programs and actions of Bangladesh government which are being implemented with the support of the USAID. In particular reference to the recently launched USAID funded Climate-Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods (CREL) program, the Hon’ble Minister said that Bangladesh is mobilizing its best resources –its human capital and social network to implement climate-related strategies, and in this context, collaborative management between government and communities envisioned in CREL program is meant to be successful. USAID Deputy Administrator appreciated Bangladesh’s innovations and leadership in dealing with the challenges of Climate Change and reiterated USAID’s support to Bangladesh.

Following the USAID meeting, Minister met with Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, (OES) Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones and Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources, Mr. Robert F. Ichord, Jr., Ph.D. at the US Department of State. The primary issues that featured in the discussions are, among others, post 2015 global development agenda, UNFCC’s structural constraints, the future of a globally accepted mitigation regime, sustainable water resources management and utilization of green energy resources with particular reference to Bangladesh’s success story in capitalizing on solar energy. The US side has shown keen interest in partnering with Bangladesh in the fields of renewable energy, water management, as well as exploring opportunities for joint study/ research for low cost solutions to green technologies.

Late in the afternoon, Minister met with US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Mr. Robert O. Blake, Jr.  Dr. Hasan appreciated US leadership in the field of climate change and hoped that, Bangladesh, a vulnerable country, would be provided due US assistance both at bilateral and multilateral levels to fight the challenges of climate change. Bangladesh Minister gave a detailed account on how Bangladesh is trying to deal with this challenge in an inclusive and innovative manner involving different stakeholders such as government, civil society, scientists and people at large. The current political situation of the country also came up during the discussion. The Minister said that the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attaches great importance to the democratic and secular values. He thanked the US Government for its continued support for upholding democracy in the country. They discussed the importance of working together for combating terrorism. Mr. Blake assured US’s continuous assistance for Bangladesh’s fight against adverse impacts of climate change as well strengthening democracy in the country.