Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal seek climate finance beyond LDC graduation

Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal have called for continued access to predictable, adequate and grant-based climate finance beyond graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category, stressing that development progress does not mean an end to climate vulnerability.

The call was made at a press conference titled “From Shared Vulnerability to Resilience in BBN: Advancing Adaptation and Finance Priorities at COP31”, organised by the Centre for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD) in collaboration with Climate Justice Alliance–Bangladesh (CJA-B) at the COP31 venue in Antalya, Türkiye, on Saturday, according to a press release.

Representatives from the three countries, climate experts and civil society organisations highlighted their shared climate risks and called for a coordinated regional approach to adaptation and climate finance.

Speaking at the event, Md Shamsuddoha, chief executive of CPRD, said LDC graduation does not mean graduation from climate vulnerability.

He called for greater flexibility in accessing international climate finance after graduation so that development progress does not undermine continued adaptation support.

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Presenting the keynote paper, Sheikh Nur Ataya Rabbi, programme manager for research and advocacy at CPRD, stressed the need for a collective adaptation and climate finance agenda for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal (BBN).

He called for coordinated regional advocacy and a common narrative that recognises the countries' different but interconnected climate vulnerabilities.

Shah Abdul Saadi, joint secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the Ministry of Finance, said climate-related weather events were becoming increasingly frequent, intense, persistent and unpredictable, with transboundary impacts across the Ganges-Meghna-Brahmaputra basin.

He pointed out that vulnerable communities and geographical areas often remain underrepresented and inadequately supported due to gaps in vulnerability mapping, risk assessment, institutional responsibilities and resource allocation.

He stressed cross-border cooperation among civil society organisations to strengthen climate advocacy, improve evidence-based policymaking and develop interoperable early warning systems.

He also called for improving the coverage, accessibility and usability of early warning systems while mobilising financial and technological resources on a larger scale.

Manjeet Dhakal, head of the LDC Support Team and director of Climate Analytics South Asia, described Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal as an interconnected mountain-to-delta climate development corridor.

He said their shared climate risks could not be adequately addressed through isolated national approaches and called for recognising BBN as a regional adaptation hub based on vulnerability and needs.

Md Ziaul Haque, additional director general (PRL) of the Department of Environment, said LDC graduation reflected development progress, not the disappearance of climate vulnerability.

He called for protecting grant-based climate finance based on countries' future vulnerabilities and fiscal capacities, ensuring that funding remains accessible after graduation.

Ruchi Chaudhary, programme manager of Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), called for a coordinated, vulnerability-centred adaptation agenda involving BBN governments and civil society organisations.

She highlighted the importance of transboundary risk monitoring, early warning systems, locally led adaptation, transparent climate finance delivery and accountability to vulnerable communities.

The press conference outlined three major policy demands for the three countries: prioritising vulnerability-centred adaptation in global climate negotiations, ensuring continued access to predictable and grant-based adaptation finance beyond LDC graduation, and strengthening coordinated regional action among Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

Participants also called for stronger cooperation on early warning systems, locally led adaptation and transparent delivery of climate finance.

They said climate finance should be determined by actual and projected vulnerabilities, national adaptation needs and fiscal capacities rather than development classifications alone.

The event concluded with a call for BBN governments, civil society organisations and international partners to work together towards an equitable global adaptation framework that ensures vulnerable communities receive the necessary financial and technical support.