70953 Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund An innovative Governance Framework Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF) is an innovative partnership between the Government of Bangladesh, Development BCCRF is a country-led Partners and the World Bank to address the impacts of climate change. financing mechanism. The Governance framework This fund, one of the first of its kind in the area of climate change, was established in May 2010, with financial support from Denmark, European of BCCRF ensures full Union, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Switzerland subsequently joined ownership and leadership the Fund in December 2010. This mechanism is enabling the Government of the Government of to channel in over US$125m grant funds to millions of Bangladeshis to Bangladesh. build their resilience to the effects of climate change. The objective of BCCRF is to support the implementation of Bangladesh’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan for 2009-2018. The Bangladesh Government leads on the management and implementation of BCCRF. On behalf of the contributing Development Partners, and in consultation with the Government of Bangladesh, the World Bank, for a limited duration, is ensuring due diligence requirements on the BCCRF (including fiduciary management, transparency and accountability) and is ensuring projects are implemented with due regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness. How is BCCRF Governed? BCCRF has a two tier governance system: the Government. A secretariat (currently Children Affairs; Secretaries from Prime in the process of being set up), based in Minister’s Office, Ministry of Environment A Governing Council which provides the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and Forests, Economic Relations overall strategic direction and guidance is responsible for providing support to Division, Ministry of Finance, Ministry to BCCRF and ensures its alignment with the Governing Council and Management of Planning; two representatives from Bangladesh’s Climate Change Strategy Committee; and for providing advocacy, Contributing Development Partners; two and Action Plan. communication and coordination support representatives from Civil Society, and A Management Committee which to all agencies implementing activities the Country Director of the World Bank as provides technical advice is responsible funded by BCCRF. an observer. for developing a work programme, The Governing Council is a high level The primary responsibilities of the ensuring that the BCCRF is implemented committee chaired by the Minister of Governing Council are to provide in line with the agreed implementation Environment and Forests and comprises advisory guidance on program strategic manual and considering grant requests of Ministers from Ministry of Agriculture, goals and alignment with Government’s submitted by various line ministries and Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Food climate change strategy, grant criteria, other eligible institutions. and Disaster Management, Ministry and high-level issues, such as, transfer of Both the Governing Council and the of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Water fiduciary management responsibility to the Management Committee are chaired by Resource and Ministry of Women’s and government. The Governing Council also oversees the management and utilization Relations Division (Additional Secretary) line with the agreed implementation of the fund. In particular, it approves and Planning Commission (member manual and recommend projects for projects to be funded and reviews the – General Economic Division), two preparation. It also reviews and endorses achievement of results. representatives from contributing the Implementation Manual, the work Development Partners, representative program and budget allocations and The Management Committee is a from the World Bank and one reports prepared by the secretariat for small technical committee chaired by representative from civil society. submission to the Governing Council as the Secretary of Ministry of Environment and Forests and includes two other The primary responsibilities of the well as for public dissemination. If funding representatives from the same ministry Management Committee are to carry is required for project preparation, the (Joint Secretary (Development) and out a detailed review of grant requests Management Committee approves the Deputy Secretary (Environment)), one submitted by the secretariat, ensure amount of funding with intimation to the senior representative from Economic that grant requests submitted are in Governing Council. Role of the World Bank The World Bank is responsible for some analytical and advisory support for partners. For example, in 2009 the ensuring that there is adequate implementation of Bangladesh’s Climate Bank had more than 1,000 active trust fiduciary management, transparency Change Strategy and Action Plan via funds with above $20 billion funds, from and accountability in executing BCCRF. 217 donor agencies (representing 53 BCCRF and that the projects funded The wide experience in managing trust countries). World Bank is also uniquely are implemented with due regard to funds gives World Bank the privilege of positioned to share analytical and economy, efficiency and effectiveness. providing financial management services research works on international best The World Bank is also providing to BCCRF on behalf of the development practices in development. held in February 2011. Since then, U$0.2 million to set up the first phase Current Status the Management Committee has met of the secretariat in the Ministry of November 2011 five times and reviewed more than 50 Environment and Forests. proposals submitted by different ministries In addition to recommending the BCCRF is now fully operational; in response to the two calls for proposal above projects for Governing Council made by Ministry of Environment and US$87 million of the total US$125 approval, the Management Committee Forests. million will be committed by March has also recommended three more 2012. The first Governing Council meeting projects for preparation to date. was held in May 2011 and it approved: These include projects on agricultural An Implementation Manual (i) a project for building 56 new cyclone adaptation in climate risk prone areas detailing the governance and shelters and rehabilitating about 50 (US$ 23 million), climate resilient operational mechanism for damaged shelters for US$25 million; (ii) participatory afforestation/reforestation BCCRF was agreed between the designation of Palli Karma-Sahayak (US$ 25 million) and a pre-preparation the Government of Bangladesh, Foundation as an apex organization expert consultancy study for review Development partners and the to channel about US$12.5 million to of supporting documentation provided World Bank in December 2010. Civil Society Organizations and NGOs for building a cross-dam between The fund became operational with for community based climate change Noakhali and Urirchar (two islands in the first Management Committee resilience activities and (iii) an allocation of the south of the country). Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh