Photo: Freepik

DHAKA, March 27, 2025 (BSS) - The government has approved 29 new projects under the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) to combat the increasing challenges of climate change.

The approval was granted during the 62nd meeting of the Trustee Board, held at the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, according to a press release issued by the ministry today.

The meeting was chaired by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry, the release added.

Adviser to the Ministries of Home and Agriculture Lieutenant General (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Adviser to the Ministries of Women and Children and Social Welfare Sharmin S Murshid, Cabinet Secretary Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid, Secretary of Environment Dr Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of Finance Dr Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder and high-ranking officials were present, among others, at the meeting.

The newly approved projects aim to enhance climate resilience, protect the environment, and promote sustainable agricultural and urban development.

The projects will focus on improving onion seed storage and production, adopting climate-smart agricultural technologies in char, haor, and coastal regions, and restoring water bodies in major urban centers like Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet. 

Additionally, afforestation efforts will be carried out along five canals in Narayanganj, while conservation measures are planned for Gazipur's Lobonadaha Canal.

To improve access to clean drinking water in remote areas, solar-powered deep tube wells will be installed in Rangamati's hill tracts, alongside safe drinking water initiatives for affected communities in Bandarban.

Other significant projects include the distribution of subsidized jute bags as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic, the expansion of palm and mangrove plantations, biodiversity conservation efforts, and research on antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The projects will be implemented by various government agencies and research institutions, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board, the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Chittagong, the Department of Public Health Engineering, the Bangladesh Agricultural University, the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, and the Department of Environment, among others.