A group of civil society organisations and MPs from coastal areas today, at a virtual seminar, urged the government to allocate at least Tk 150 billion for coastal protection, particularly for climate-resilient embankment construction.

COAST Foundation, Centre for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL), Centre for Participatory Research & Development (CPRD), and Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) jointly organised the seminar.

Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP, chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, attended the programme as chief guest.

Cyclone and monsoon floods are damaging the livelihoods and structures in coastal areas every year, causing immense sufferings to people living there, said Aminul Hoque, director ME & IA of COAST Foundation, in his keynote speech.

"But the government has ignored the sufferings of people by placing a traditional budget for embankment construction which is not appropriate to address the issues," he said.

The government will have to allocate at least Tk 150 billion every year as the minimum requirement for embankment construction, added Aminul.

"A national risk assessment is needed to support the government in allocating appropriate resources, said MP Saber.

He demanded a roadmap on this issue along with preparing an embankment policy.