A day-long training on “Operations and Management of Climate Resilient Local Infrastructure Center (CReLIC)” was held on October 23 at the LGED headquarters. The event was organized by CReLIC, focusing on developing skills for handling climate-resilient infrastructure projects. Gopal Krishna Debnath, Additional Chief Engineer of LGED (acting Chief Engineer), inaugurated the training session.

In his opening remarks, Gopal Krishna Debnath emphasized that Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change. This year’s monsoon season saw unprecedented and extreme natural disasters, further showcasing the visible effects of climate change across the country. Rising sea levels are increasing salinity in coastal areas, and some regions are experiencing desertification. He stressed the importance of considering these factors in infrastructure planning and design and called upon all stakeholders to involve development partners in sustaining CReLIC’s activities.

The welcome address was delivered by Additional Chief Engineer and CReLIC Director Md. Abdul Hakim, who highlighted that climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century. Its negative impact on biodiversity is a growing concern, and extensive research is underway to address these challenges, with CReLIC being part of this ongoing effort.

Presentations were delivered by Md. Jasim Uddin, Superintendent Engineer (Planning) at LGED, Md. Abdul Khalek, Project Director of CRIM, Dr. Dan Boom, Team Leader of IDC-CReLIC, and Banda Hafiz, a training specialist. Nestor Zapata, Senior Institutional Development Specialist at IDC-CReLIC, served as the lead trainer. Twenty engineers from various levels of LGED participated in the training session.