No chance for locals to involve in climate project formulation: TIB

Dhaka: Local people do not get the scope to participate in the formulation of climate change projects at local government level since most such projects have been taken based on political consideration, says a new study of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
The anti‐graft agency conducted the study on six climate projects during March to November last year, and found the absence of public participation in project formulation of these climate projects.
The findings of the survey, tilted ‘Climate Financing and Local Government Institutions: Governance in Project Implementation’, was unveiled at a press conference at the TIB head office in Dhaka on Monday.
TIB senior programme manager ASM Jewel and deputy programme manager Nahid Sharmin jointly unveiled the survey findings.
TIB trustee board chairperson Sultana Kamal, its executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, deputy executive director Dr Sumaiya Khair and director (research and policy) Mohammad Rafique Hassan were present at the press conference.
The research reveals that mayors, deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of Zila Parishads, engineers and municipality secretaries play the vital role in preparing project proposals while councillors did not get the scope to get involved in this process.
Although these projects were taken to cope with climate change impacts, it shows, climate change risk and impacts were not assessed at community level before taking six climate projects.