Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today addressed a programme titled ‘Road to Belem COP30: People-Led Policy – Bangladesh Position @COP30’ held at the DoE in the capital. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Oct 28, 2025 (BSS)- Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan urged developed countries to fulfill global commitments on climate finance. 

“If developed nations fail to increase their contributions to combat climate change, climate-vulnerable countries like Bangladesh will face existential threats. Bangladesh must play a stronger role in ensuring climate justice,” she said.

She made these remarks while addressing a programme titled ‘Road to Belem COP30: People-Led Policy – Bangladesh Position @COP30’ held at the Department of Environment (DoE) here.

Rizwana, also Water Resources Adviser, said that the losses caused by climate change cannot be compensated with money alone. Financial aid cannot restore eroded rivers, lost biodiversity, or human security, she added. 

She stressed that environmental and climate risks must be placed at the center of national development planning.

Rizwana Hasan further stated, “If we fail to embed climate justice into our development philosophy and decision-making now, future generations will face an unbearable reality. Economic growth will then no longer be humane or sustainable.”

She emphasized that Bangladesh’s climate action should go beyond speeches at international forums and translate into practical actions on the ground. “Stopping illegal sand extraction, protecting rivers, and standing with local administrations for environmental protection — these are the true indicators of climate leadership,” she added.

Action Aid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir, Executive Director of Nature Conservation Management (NaCOM) Dr. S. M. Munjurul Hannan Khan, Additional Director General of the Department of Environment Sohrab Ali, Director Mirza Shawkat Ali, and Assistant Director of C3ER Roufa Khanam, among others, spoke at the event.

Earlier, the Environment Adviser addressed the 8th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city.  

She stressed that development must not come at the cost of environmental degradation, adding that protecting rivers, forests and wetlands is a matter of survival, equity, and human dignity. 

Highlighting the challenges of climate change and unsustainable practices, she reminded the graduates that meaningful progress can only be achieved when economic growth is inclusive, sustainable, and respectful of nature.