At a high-level policy dialogue held at the Bangladesh Pavilion during the opening day of the COP-31 UN Climate Summit in Antalya, Turkey, on Monday, November 9, 2026, climate-vulnerable nations and international experts urgently demanded a shift toward grant-based climate financing instead of debt-inducing loans.

Delivering the opening address at the session titled "Living Waters, Shared Rights: Climate Resilience through Natural Rights-Led Governance", State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam emphasized that sea-level rise poses severe threats to Bangladesh’s fresh water supply, food security, housing, and coastal infrastructure. He called upon the Global South to unite in international forums to advocate for their common priorities.

The dialogue was organized by Change Initiative with support from the Embassy of Switzerland and WaterAid Bangladesh. Presenting the keynote paper, Change Initiative Co-Founder and CEO M. Zakir Hossain Khan revealed stark disparities in historical climate financing: between 2002 and 2023, Bangladesh received $7.78 in loans for every $1 granted in the water supply sector. He also highlighted that with the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India set to expire on December 12, 2026, joint transboundary management of the 54 shared rivers is critical. Member of Parliament Mansura Akter along with international delegates from Turkey, Nepal, the Climate Investment Funds, IIED, and indigenous groups from Bangladesh and Chile reinforced the need for grant-funded, community-led adaptation initiatives.