Dhaka, 7th December 2011. Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD) today in statement, express their grave concern on a recent move by Asian Development Bank (ADB) in World Bank (WB)’s Pilot Project on Climate Resilience (PPCR) for US $ 25,000 grant to assist Bangladesh Capacity Building and Knowledge Management in respect of climate change. According to PPCR management, if there are no objection by 13th October the grant will be approved.
PPCR is a window of Climate Investment Fund of World Bank, created with the contribution of developed countries, in fact to create an instances of by passing the process of creating Green Climate Fund (GFC) under UNFCCC, that developing countries demanding, whereby there will be less control of international financial institution. In contrast to the demand of developing countries, developed countries demand is to have strong role of World Bank in climate finance.
Developed countries and also the international financial institution (IFI) like WB and ADB putting the carrot of PPCR that country like Bangladesh should be a recipient of PPCR, so that they can showcase the country that Bangladesh has already took money from PPCR. In fact which is to demoralize other developing countries in their demand in lesser or no role of WB in climate finance? It should be noted that EquityBD and other civil society organizations already protested and urged not to take any money from WB PPCR in the name of climate financing.
EquityBD urged, relevant government agency to explain, i.e., why and how the demand is being realized and why it has not been considered as it is a very small money, and how ADB has applied for such a small money in the name of Bangladesh. We strongly feel that for knowledge management and capacity building such a small money could be easily funded from the government even which could be funded from Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF). We also demand an explanation of governments External Resource Division (ERD) on their role in this respect. This is shameful and this is a reflection of begging mentality of some quarters in the government.
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