Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), has called on developed countries to fulfill their global commitments on climate finance, warning that failure to do so will pose existential threats to climate-vulnerable nations like Bangladesh. She also urged Bangladesh to take a more assertive stance in ensuring climate justice on global platforms.
She made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the event titled “Road to Belem COP30: People-Led Policy – Bangladesh Position @COP30,” held today at the Department of Environment in Dhaka.
The Advisor emphasized that financial compensation alone cannot address the losses caused by climate change, noting that “no amount of money can restore eroded rivers, lost biodiversity, or human security.” She stressed that environmental and climate risks must be integrated into all levels of national development planning to ensure resilience and sustainability.
“If we fail to embed climate justice into our development philosophy and decision-making now, future generations will face an unbearable reality,” she warned. “Economic growth will then no longer be humane or sustainable.”
Rizwana Hasan further noted that Bangladesh’s climate leadership must go beyond speeches and translate into practical, ground-level actions. “Stopping illegal sand extraction, protecting rivers, and working with local administrations for environmental protection—these are the true indicators of climate leadership,” she said.
Among others, ActionAid 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 also spoke at the event.
Earlier in the day, the Environment Advisor addressed the 8th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. She reiterated that development must not come at the cost of environmental degradation, emphasizing that protecting rivers, forests, and wetlands is a matter of survival, equity, and human dignity.
Highlighting the urgent challenges posed by climate change and unsustainable practices, Rizwana Hasan reminded graduates that true progress is only possible when economic growth is inclusive, sustainable, and respectful of nature.
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