PKSF Chairman urges implementation of long-term interventions to combat drought in Barind tract
The Barind tract in Bangladesh is facing severe drought caused by climate change. It requires implementation of sustainable and long-term interventions to protect the environment, biodiversity, and people of this region. To address these challenges, PKSF Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan has called for increased international support to complement the activities funded by the Government of Bangladesh.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of a training program under the Extended Community Climate Change Project-Drought (ECCCP-Drought) at the PKSF Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka today, Zakir Ahmed Khan emphasized on the importance of building local capacity to mitigate the impacts of climate change. He said PKSF’s ECCCP-Drought project, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and supported by the Government of Bangladesh, is being implemented in 14 upazilas of Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, and Rajshahi districts. He expressed his hope that such training programs would contribute to developing the capacity of local communities to deal with climate change fallout more effectively.
PKSF arranged this training on climate change, adaptation and mitigation in two batches from 5-16 January and 19–23 January 2025. A total of 66 officers from the project-implementing Partner Organizations received this training. The training program focused on climate finance, project proposal development, and field-level project implementation strategies.
Zakir Ahmed Khan distributed certificates among the participants and urged them to implement the project with efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
The USD 30 million ECCCP-Drought project, being implemented from 2023 to 2027, seeks to increase resilience of poor and vulnerable people in drought-prone areas. The key activities of the project include capacity building for government and private institutions, artificial groundwater replenishment, re-excavation of ponds and canals, and the promotion of drought-tolerant crops. The project is expected to directly benefit 215,000 people.
