Experts at a seminar on Sunday demanded an increase of 5.0 per cent in the budgetary allocation every year to help cope with the impacts of climate change.
They also called on the government to allocate more funds for research on the climate change issues to find out socially acceptable and technologically viable options.
The seminar titled 'Climate Financing in National Budget: Where do We Stand?' was jointly organised by the ActionAid Bangladesh and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at the National Press Club in the city.
ActionAid Bangladesh manager (climate justice) Tanjir Hossain presented a keynote paper at the seminar and appreciated the government's efforts to publish its first report on climate-sensitive budget analysis.
The government in its report outlined the trend of climate relevance in six selected ministries.
The government's climate financing report showed a 4.4 per cent increase in development budget for the fiscal year 2017-18, compared to that of the FY'15.
Climate-related allocation was 19.20 per cent of the total development budget or Tk 760 billion in the FY'18.
"We (ActionAid and ICCCAD) recognise the significance of the allocation. It is a sign of preparedness to fight climate change," Mr Hossain said in his keynote paper.
"But there are a number of issues that need attention such as lack of clarity in double counting of allocation within the projects and ministries," he added.
He mentioned that inadequate preparation for early monsoon and heavy downpour might again affect agricultural production equivalent to 1.0 per cent of the GDP this year.
He also urged the government to calculate household expenditures as the largest source of climate expenditures.
According to the keynote paper, the poor are spending millions of taka on adaptation of climate change.
Prof. Mizan R Khan of Department of Environmental Science and Management at North South University said the government's allocation for research should be increased to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh Farah Kabir said the government's climate budget report does not show the quality in terms of the impacts on climate expenditure.
"The government report should make it clear as to whether climate expenditure is achieving its desired results and reducing risk and vulnerability," she said.
Director of ICCCAD Dr Saleemul Haq said: "It is now well recognised that even if we achieve the pledges made under the Paris Agreement, we will not be able to limit the global temperature rise below average 2.0 degree Celsius in the coming days."
He stressed the need for developing a 'national mechanism' on losses and damage caused by the climate change.
