Experts call for green inclusive finance as national framework
Policymakers and development experts have urged the adoption of green inclusive finance as a national framework to connect financial inclusion with climate action for poor and low-income vulnerable populations in Bangladesh.
The call was made at a discussion titled 'Green Inclusive Finance: A Framework for Climate Change Response by the Poor and Low-Income Vulnerable Populations in Bangladesh', jointly organised by the Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM) and the Centre for Inclusive Development Dialogue (CIDD) at the BRAC Centre Inn, Mohakhali, on Sunday. The meeting was chaired by Dr Q K Ahmad, Chair of InM.
In his keynote presentation, Dr Mustafa K Mujeri, Executive Director of InM and Chair of CIDD, outlined a strategic framework integrating poverty reduction, financial inclusion, and climate resilience through three pathways: resilience, adaptation, and transition. He emphasised that climate change and poverty must be addressed together, arguing that a green inclusive finance system would empower vulnerable communities to adapt to climate shocks while pursuing sustainable livelihoods.
The discussion featured a panel of experts, including Md Rashadul Islam, former Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau, and Kazi Kareena Arif, Research Analyst at Change Initiative. They highlighted that climate adaptation policies often overlook the realities faced by disadvantaged communities, leaving them more exposed to environmental risks. The panel emphasised the need for inclusive financial tools such as microfinance, microinsurance, flexible savings, emergency credit schemes, and targeted safety nets to strengthen the resilience of climate-affected households.
Participants from financial institutions, microfinance and development organisations, and policy bodies discussed practical measures to operationalise green inclusive finance at both institutional and community levels.
The meeting concluded with a call for coordinated national efforts, greater local participation, and targeted investment in climate-vulnerable areas, particularly the coastal belts, haor regions, and flood-prone zones, to ensure no one is left behind in the fight against climate change.
Arsalan Zaman, Trustee of CIDD, delivered the vote of thanks and expressed appreciation to all participants for contributing to the national discourse on green inclusive finance.