The meeting took place at the office of Jhalakathi Deputy Commissioner Md Johor Ali on Monday, with the attendance of additional secretaries from the ministry of environment, forest, and climate change, Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik and Md Mizanul Haque Chowdhury, as stated by the UNDP. During the presentation, Malik Fida A Khan, executive director of CEGIS, emphasized the importance of the NAP, highlighting its participatory and country-driven nature. He emphasized that NAP would address Bangladesh's medium to long-term adaptation needs, making it a climate-resilient country in the future. Khan also mentioned that NAP would focus on the climate vulnerability of coastal regions, bridge capacity gaps, and establish a knowledge management system for climate change adaptation. The consultation focused on the significant climatic risks faced by various coastal districts, the adaptation strategies employed by farmers, and the factors influencing the selection of these strategies. Jhalakathi and other coastal districts are particularly at risk due to rising salinity levels in both groundwater and surface water resources, especially along the coast, caused by sea level rise as a result of global warming. Participants acknowledged that smallholder farmers' livelihoods are impacted by climatic risks like cyclones, soil and water salinity increases, storm surges, heavy rainfall, and subsequent flooding and waterlogging. They emphasized the need for a comprehensive master plan to tackle these challenges. AKM Azad Rahman, a programme officer at UNDP focusing on climate change, stated that UNDP will offer full support to Bangladesh in addressing climate change issues. "We are collaborating closely with the government to develop sustainable projects in coastal areas," stated Sanjay Bhowmik. He added that the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) will serve as the main policy guiding their adaptation efforts and will complement national-level planning. Bhowmik emphasized the importance of partnership at both national and local levels for the successful implementation of the NAP. Mizanul, the national project director of the NAP Formulation Project, highlighted the need for NAP to align with national planning processes and supplement existing plans like the Annual Development Programme and Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100. He stressed the importance of raising awareness about climate change, environmental protection, and mainstreaming adaptation efforts. Additionally, Johor Ali suggested that rainwater harvesting could be an effective adaptation strategy for coastal regions. The event was jointly organized by the ministry, Economic Relations Division, and the UNDP with assistance from the Green Climate Fund.