The prime minister emphasized the vulnerability of the South Asian region to climate-induced natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and droughts during the virtual inauguration of the Global Centre on Adaptation's regional office in Dhaka. She warned that even a 1.5 degree Celsius rise in temperature could have severe consequences for Bangladesh and the region. Hasina also highlighted the vulnerability of children, women, elderly people, and individuals with special needs to disasters, while reaffirming Bangladesh's commitment to implementing the Paris Agreement and taking measures to limit carbon emissions and other environmental degradations. She mentioned that her government has implemented various mitigation and adaptation programs under the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan created in 2009 to address the impacts of climate change. "We established the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund in 2009 and have allocated 430 million US dollars from our own resources to implement the action plan," she stated. The government has been spending approximately 1% of our GDP, equivalent to $2 billion per year since 2010 for adaptation purposes. The prime minister also highlighted the Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100 as a long-term initiative to address the challenges posed by climate change and natural disasters. However, Hasina stressed the importance of enhancing resilience in South Asia to mitigate the impacts of climate-related disasters. "In the past decade alone, almost 700 million people, half of the region's population, have been affected by climate-related disasters." Before people can recover from a natural disaster, another one often occurs, undoing any progress that has been made. To break this cycle, South Asia must increase its resilience. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina expressed optimism about the GCA's regional office in Bangladesh, stating that it will help improve adaptation and climate resilience efforts in South Asia. She hopes that the office will share successful adaptation practices from Bangladesh and other countries in the region, serving as a Center of Excellence for adaptation measures. According to Hasina, Bangladesh is looking for support from the GCA Dhaka office during its chairmanship of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and Vulnerable-20 in the next two years. She also urged the GCA to consider ways to assist the Delta Coalition in the long term. While praising Bangladesh's ability to handle natural disasters, the prime minister acknowledged the need for significant changes to reduce the impact of climate change. She believes that other countries in the region have similar experiences and successful adaptive measures, and together they can work towards a better future for everyone. "As climate change affects the entire world, I urge countries to strengthen their Nationally Determined Contributions by December 31st of this year to address this problem and implement the 2015 Paris Agreement. Following the repercussions of the pandemic, Hasina urged other nations to come together in solidarity to combat the current crisis and future challenges."