Experts call for green budget, sustainable growth

Environment experts, policymakers and civil society representatives on Monday called for restructuring the national budget to prioritise environmental sustainability alongside economic growth, warning that development without adequate investment in nature and climate resilience will jeopardise Bangladesh's long-term prosperity. 

The call came at a round-table discussion titled "Towards a Sustainable, Development-Oriented and Environment-Friendly Budget" organised by GreenWatch news magazine and GreenWatch online portal at the Jatiya Press Club in the city.

The speakers observed that while the proposed Tk 9.38 trillion national budget for fiscal year 2026-27 reflects an effort to prepare a democratic and people-oriented budget, and has been welcomed by several business associations as business-friendly, it remains largely rooted in a conventional development model that places greater emphasis on economic growth than environmental sustainability, according to a press release.

They stressed that increasing production and generating wealth alone cannot ensure inclusive and sustainable development. Equal importance must be given to protecting, restoring and managing the country's natural resources to secure a livable Bangladesh for future generations.

Presenting the keynote paper, M Zakir Hossain Khan, managing director of Change Initiative and an environmental, energy and climate expert, said environmental sustainability must be integrated into every stage of national development planning and budget formulation.

He warned that inadequate investment in environmental protection today will lead to far greater economic and ecological losses in the future.

The discussion was chaired by Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor of GreenWatch Dhaka. Among others, Ayub Bhuiyan, general secretary of the Jatiya Press Club, Dr Mohammad Masud, special officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, and Motaleb Mashraki, chairman of Dhaka Shekhar Trust, addressed the event moderated by Rafiqul Islam Azad, executive editor of GreenWatch Dhaka.

The speakers urged the government to substantially increase budgetary allocations for the environment sector, saying higher investment is essential to achieve sustainable economic growth, strengthen climate resilience and protect natural ecosystems.

They emphasised that environmental conservation should be viewed not as an expenditure but as a long-term investment in the country's future.

Despite being one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, Bangladesh continues to allocate significantly less funding to the environment sector than to transport and communication, power and energy, public administration, education, agriculture and health, the speakers noted.

Addressing this imbalance, they said, is crucial to tackling the growing impacts of climate change and achieving sustainable development goals.

The participants also highlighted mounting environmental challenges, including climate-induced disasters, river erosion, sea-level rise, salinity intrusion, air and water pollution, biodiversity loss, deforestation and unplanned urbanisation, all of which are placing increasing pressure on the country's economy and society.

They concluded that stronger public investment in environmental protection is no longer optional but an urgent national necessity to ensure resilient, inclusive and sustainable development.