Australia keens to help Bangladesh in building climate resilience

Australia has shown its keen interest to help Bangladesh in building climate resilience and Rohingya repatriation.

The Australian interest was extended while its Prime Minister Scott Morrison holding a bilateral meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday at the sideline of COP26, reports BSS. 

The bilateral meeting was held at the invitation of the Australian Prime Minister," said Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.

He said both the leaders discussed about the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially climate cooperation and Rohingya repatriation issues.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is a climate vulnerable country and Australia too is experiencing extreme climate events including bushfire, floods, coral bleaching.

"Both the countries can work closely to build resilience against the impact of climate change," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said although Bangladesh is not historically responsible for climate change, the impact of climate change is severe on it.

"As such it is important for the international community, especially major carbon emitting countries, to respond to the needs of the developing countries which are most vulnerable to climate change, and the developed world must deliver on the $100 billion promised in climate finance and make it a reality," she said.

The premier underscored the urgency for the transfer of green and clean technologies from developed to developing countries in order to effectively respond to climate change, building resilience and socio-economic development for a post-COVID-19 recovery.

"If shared, many countries could be benefitted from Australia's technology-led emission reduction approach," she added.

She thanked Australian government for its continued support on the Rohingya issue.

Expressing concern over the no progress in repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar since 2017, Sheikh Hasina urged the Australian government to exert more international pressure on Myanmar for taking Rohingyas back to their homeland.