Workshop on Climate-Resilient Infrastructure

The Workshop on Climate-Resilient Infrastructure aims to strengthen cooperation, links and synergies in the infrastructure planning, design, and development process and share best practices in building climate resilience and reducing disaster risk

Event description:

Bangladesh is the 7th most vulnerable country in the world to risks from a changing climate. Bangladesh has made significant strides in adaptation planning over the past decade to tackle the climate impacts impeding its development. The infrastructure network is one of the hardest-hit systems when it comes to climate change. The need to incorporate climate resilience in every aspect of infrastructure projects has been highlighted in the Government of Bangladesh policy documents, including the National Adaptation Plan, Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, and Delta Plan 2100. However, despite having robust national-level plans and policies, a lack of institutional and technical capacity makes it difficult to ensure the resilience of the infrastructure system.

The government of Bangladesh is increasingly turning to the private sector to mobilize the finance required to bridge the infrastructure investment gap, which will amount to $192 billion by 2040. Yet, while there is a strong body of knowledge on guidance on how to structure infrastructure public and private projects and literature on climate risks, resilience, and infrastructure, countries lack information on how to bring those two fields together. As resilience and adaptation are seen as public as opposed to private benefits, the situation only gets worse.

GCA launched the global Masterclass on Climate-Resilient Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in collaboration with the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, among other Multilateral Development Banks and technical partners. The objective of the Masterclass is to build the capacity of PPP practitioners to mainstream adaptation and resilience into infrastructure PPP projects. The first global Masterclass on Climate-Resilient PPPs was held in September 2021 and brought together 46 global practitioners from 25 countries.

GCA has partnered with the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), BRAC University, and Grant Thornton Bangladesh to tailor the Masterclass for Climate Resilient Infrastructure PPPs for Bangladesh and deliver two Masterclasses in Bangladesh. In the build-up of the masterclass, GCA is organizing a workshop to promote Climate-Resilient Infrastructure aimed primarily at private sector infrastructure owners and operators.

This Workshop on Climate-Resilient Infrastructure has the objective to promote climate resilience and adaptation to the public and private sector stakeholders working in the infrastructure sector in Bangladesh. The workshop will aim to strengthen cooperation, links and synergies in the infrastructure planning, design, and development process and share best practices in building climate resilience and reducing disaster risk through Climate risk assessment and development of climate data and analytics.

PROGRAM

• 9:30–10:00 AM: Registration
• 10:00–10:30 AM: Welcome Remarks: Mr. Mehedi Ahsan, Country Manager Bangladesh, GCA
• 10:30–11:00 AM: Special Remarks: Mr. Arnoud Molenaar, Chief Resilience Officer, the City of Rotterdam
• 11:00–11:15 AM: Tea Break
• 11:15–11:45 AM: Session: Climate Resilient Infrastructure
  Discussant: Prof. Ainun Nishat, Advisor & Professor Emeritus, C3ER, BRAC University
• 11:45–12:15 PM: Session: Resilience in Public-Private Partnership
  Discussant: Mr. M Murshed Haider, Director of Private Sector Engagement, Tetra Tech
• 12:15–12:45 PM: Open Discussion
• 12:45–1:00 PM: Closing of the Event