The meeting took place at Md Johor Ali's office, the Deputy Commissioner of Jhalakathi, on Monday. Additional secretaries from the ministry of environment, forest, and climate change, Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik and Md Mizanul Haque Chowdhury, were also in attendance, as stated by the UNDP. Malik Fida A Khan, the executive director of CEGIS, emphasized the significance of NAP in his speech. He highlighted that NAP is a process driven by the country and participation, aiming to address Bangladesh's medium to long-term adaptation needs and make it a climate-resilient nation in the future. Khan mentioned that NAP's main focus is on the vulnerability of coastal regions to climate change, rectifying the current capacity limitations, and establishing a knowledge management system for climate change adaptation. During the consultation, the participants discussed the significant climatic risks faced by various coastal districts, the adaptation strategies employed by farmers, and the factors influencing the selection of these strategies. Coastal districts like Jhalakathi are at risk due to rising salinity levels in groundwater and surface water resources, particularly along the coast, caused by sea level rise as a consequence of global warming. The participants acknowledged that smallholder farmers' livelihoods are impacted by climate-related risks such as cyclones, increasing soil and water salinity, storm surges, heavy rainfall leading to flooding and waterlogging. They emphasized the need for a comprehensive plan to tackle these challenges. AKM Azad Rahman, the climate change program officer at UNDP, expressed UNDP's commitment to fully support Bangladesh in mitigating the effects of climate change. Sanjay Bhowmik stated that they are collaborating closely with the government to create sustainable projects in coastal areas. He mentioned that the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) will guide their efforts and complement national-level planning, with ownership being delegated through consultation. Bhowmik also stressed the importance of partnerships at both the national and local levels for successful implementation of the NAP. Mizanul, the national project director of the NAP Formulation Project, added that the NAP will align with national planning processes and complement existing plans like the Annual Development Programme and the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100. He highlighted the need to raise awareness about climate change, environmental protection, and mainstream adaptation efforts. Johor Ali suggested that rainwater harvesting could be an effective adaptation strategy for coastal regions. The event was co-organised by the ministry, Economic Relations Division, and the UNDP, with assistance from the Green Climate Fund.