Dubai, December 08, 2023: The theme for December 8th at COP28 was ‘Youth, Children, Education and Skills’.

At a capacity-building session titled ‘National Capacity in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for Accelerated Climate Action’, organised by ICCCAD, at the Blue Zone of COP28, speakers discussed the various ways and approaches through which the capacity of least developed countries (LDCs) can be strengthened to ensure the most efficient climate actions.

Dr. Samiya A. Selim, Advisor, Climate Change Programme, SAJIDA Foundation was one of the speakers at the session. She said, “As a Professor collaborating with research think tanks, we're reshaping the climate change curriculum. Moving beyond the Northern-centric focus, we're infusing a Global South perspective through case studies, involving local actors—negotiators, NGOs, and government support. It's not just about education; it's about real-world application. By engaging external stakeholders, including students, we're ensuring a holistic understanding of climate finance, loss and damage, and more. Let's empower the next generation with the knowledge they need to thrive in the workforce.”

While shedding light on SAJIDA’s interventions, she said, “SAJIDA's core areas are health, mental well-being, and poverty alleviation. Recognsing the intersection-ality with climate change, our focus is on building capacities in vulnerable regions. Through partnerships like with ICCCAD, we're developing short courses for development practitioners. It's crucial for universities and think tanks to collaborate, designing programs that integrate non-communicable diseases (NDCs) and other components into development initiatives. Most importantly, we're bringing communities into the conversation, incorporating their knowledge into our capacity-building platforms. Let's ensure that the knowledge we impart resonates at the grassroots level.”

The other speakers at the session included Ritu Bharadwaj, Team Leader and Principal Researcher, IIED; SM Saify Iqbal, Program Coordinator, ICCCAD; Zanga Sadiq, Principal Manager and Amadou T. GAYE, Professor, UCAD. The session, organised by ICCCAD, was moderated by Prof Mizan R Khan, Deputy Director, ICCCAD. The Keynote presentation was delivered by M. Hafijul Islam Khan, Co-coordinator, LDCs Climate Group at UNFCCC.

At COP28, the SAJIDA team is sharing case studies and learnings from their interventions in the form of multi-tiered community-based mental health services and technology-driven physical health services.

In Bangladesh, SAJIDA's Climate Change Programme (CCP) is also implementing climate-resilient livelihood opportunities, green skills development, and developing nature-based solutions for integrated farming. Additionally, they are creating opportunities for cohabiting people and biodiversity in riverine and coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Visit: SAJIDA at COP28