The prime minister delivered the announcement during the virtual opening of the Global Centre on Adaptation's regional office in Dhaka on Tuesday. She highlighted the susceptibility of the South Asian region to climate-related natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, tidal surges, droughts, glacial lake outburst floods, landslides, and avalanches. She cautioned that even a slight increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius in temperature could have significant repercussions for Bangladesh and the surrounding area. The prime minister also emphasized the vulnerability of children, women, the elderly, and individuals with special needs to disasters, reaffirming Bangladesh's dedication to adhering to the Paris Agreement and implementing measures to reduce carbon emissions and other environmental damages. She mentioned that her government has initiated various programs to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts as outlined in the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan established in 2009. She stated that in 2009, the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund was established and has allocated 430 million US dollars from their own resources for implementing the action plan. The government has been spending about 1% of their GDP, equivalent to $2 billion per year since 2010 for adaptation purposes. The prime minister also mentioned the Bangladesh Delta Plan-2100 as a long-term initiative to address climate change and natural disasters. Hasina emphasized the importance of building greater resilience in South Asia to reduce the impact of climate-related disasters, noting that nearly 700 million people, half of the region's population, have been affected by such disasters in the past decade. Before individuals have the chance to recover from a natural disaster, another one occurs, undoing any progress that has been made. To break this cycle, South Asia must enhance its resilience. Speaking about the GCA's regional office in Bangladesh, Hasina mentioned that it is encouraging to see that the office will assist in improving adaptation and climate resilience efforts in South Asia. She expressed hope that the office will share and exchange the best 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, two important international bodies focused on climate issues under the UNFCCC process, in the next two years. Hasina also called on the GCA to consider ways to provide long-term support to the Delta Coalition. While praising Bangladesh's efforts in combating natural disasters, the prime minister acknowledged the need for significant changes to mitigate the effects of climate change. She expressed confidence that countries in the region have similar experiences and successful approaches to adaptation, and emphasized the importance of working together to ensure 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. In response to the repercussions of the pandemic, Hasina urged other nations to come together to combat the current crisis and prepare for future challenges.