The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General and Sustainable Development Group Chair, Amina J Mohammed made an official visit to Mongla in Bagerhat district in southwestern Bangladesh on 2 July to see how the UN is working with the Government of Bangladesh to build resilience and take local action on climate change adaptation.

During her visit, she witnessed the 'Local Government Initiative on Climate Change' (LoGIC) project jointly developed in 2016 by the Government of Bangladesh, the European Union, the Government of Sweden, UN Development Programme and UN Capital Development Fund, that aims to deliver climate finance to the most vulnerable households and local government institutions and enable them to build resilience and take local action on climate change adaptation.

During her visit, the Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed witnessed climate change adaptation initiatives led by the communities. She met the local community representatives who have benefited from technical and financial support from the LoGIC project. Through the project's Climate Resilience Funds (CRF) and capacity-building initiatives, the local community has implemented adaptive livelihood solutions such as brackish water fish polyculture, vegetable cultivation and sheep and duck rearing. In addition, they now have access to safe and clean drinking water through a community rainwater harvesting system installed at a nearby school, benefiting approximately 200 families.

Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed expressed her appreciation for the impactful work on climate change adaptation, highlighting the importance of local leadership, innovation, and nature-based solutions in building climate resilience. She emphasized the United Nations' commitment to supporting such initiatives and emphasised the necessity to take them to scale given the enormous climate challenges Bangladesh is facing. The Deputy Secretary General called for enhanced collaboration among governments, international organizations and communities to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change.

The LoGIC project, operating in Bagerhat District, which is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, has demonstrated itself as a sustainable financing model that enhances climate change adaptation actions. Furthermore, LoGIC promotes gender equality by empowering women and challenging prevailing gender norms. By fostering equitable participation, the project enables women to fully utilize their potential for personal and economic advancement.

Habibun Nahar, MP, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Stefan Liller, Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh and Muhammad Abdul Muhith, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN were also present along with other senior officials from the government and UN.

LoGIC applies the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility's approach of Performance Based Climate Resilience Grants that channel resources to local governments for locally identified adaptation projects, accompanied by technical support and capacity building.

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