The prime minister emphasized the vulnerability of the South Asian region to climate-induced natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, droughts, landslides, and avalanches during the virtual opening of the Global Centre on Adaptation's regional office in Dhaka. She warned that even a slight increase in temperature will have serious consequences for Bangladesh and the surrounding area. Hasina also highlighted the susceptibility of children, women, the elderly, and individuals with special needs to disasters, while reiterating Bangladesh's dedication to implementing the Paris Agreement and taking measures to reduce carbon emissions and environmental degradation. She mentioned that her government has implemented various programs to mitigate and adapt to climate change effects under the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan established in 2009. She stated that in 2009, the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund was created, with 430 million US dollars allocated from their own resources for the action plan. Since 2010, the government has been spending about 1% of their GDP, which is equivalent to $2 billion per year, for adaptation purposes. The prime minister also mentioned the Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100 as a long-term strategy to address climate change and natural disasters. Hasina highlighted the importance of enhancing resilience in South Asia to reduce the impact of climate-related disasters, noting that in the past decade, nearly 700 million people, half of the region's population, have been affected by such disasters. Before individuals can recover from a natural disaster, another one often occurs, undoing any progress that has been made. To break this cycle, South Asia must strengthen its ability to withstand such events. Bangladesh's GCA regional office is seen as a positive development by Hasina, offering support for on-the-ground efforts to improve adaptation and climate resilience in the region. She hopes the office will share successful adaptation strategies from Bangladesh and other countries, as well as facilitate exchange of practices within the region, ultimately becoming a hub for adaptation measures. According to Hasina, Bangladesh is looking for support from the GCA Dhaka office during its chairmanship of important international bodies related to climate change over the next two years. She also urged the GCA to consider ways to help the Delta Coalition in the long term. While praising Bangladesh's ability to handle natural disasters, the prime minister acknowledged the need for changes to reduce the impact of climate change. She believes that countries in the region have similar experiences and successful practices in adapting to climate change, and together they can create a better future for everyone. Since climate change is a worldwide issue, I urge countries to strengthen their Nationally Determined Contributions by the end of this year to address the problem and implement the 2015 Paris Agreement. Considering the repercussions of the pandemic, Hasina urged other nations to come together to combat the current crisis and future challenges.