Staff Correspondent
Friendship, a leading development organization working with climate-vulnerable communities in Bangladesh, is participating in the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), being held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
At COP17, Friendship is bringing the voices, experiences and lessons of communities living on the frontlines of climate change in Bangladesh to the global discussion on land degradation, desertification, climate resilience and locally led solutions.
The organization’s participation reflects its long-standing work with some of the country’s most climate-vulnerable populations, particularly communities living in river islands, coastal areas and other environmentally fragile regions. Through its field-level interventions, Friendship has developed practical experience in helping communities adapt to climate-related risks, strengthen livelihoods and build resilience in the face of environmental change.
As governments, international organizations, development practitioners, researchers and community representatives gather in Ulaanbaatar to advance global action against land degradation and desertification, Friendship is highlighting the importance of solutions that are rooted in local realities and shaped by the people most affected by climate change.
The organization believes that communities living with environmental vulnerability are not merely victims of climate change but important contributors to the development of effective and sustainable solutions. Their knowledge, experience and ability to adapt can provide valuable lessons for wider climate and land-restoration efforts.
Friendship’s delegates at COP17 are expected to share insights from Bangladesh’s climate-vulnerable communities and contribute to conversations on how locally led approaches can support land restoration, resilience and sustainable development.
The participation also provides an opportunity to connect Bangladesh’s grassroots experiences with international policy discussions and to strengthen collaboration around climate adaptation and environmental resilience.
Friendship has been working for years with communities affected by poverty, climate change, geographic isolation and environmental vulnerability. Its approach emphasizes community participation, locally appropriate solutions and strengthening people’s capacity to respond to changing environmental and socioeconomic conditions.
The organization’s presence at COP17 in Ulaanbaatar therefore comes at a time when the international community is placing renewed emphasis on restoring degraded land, combating desertification and building resilient communities.
Through its engagement at the conference, Friendship aims to ensure that the experiences of climate-vulnerable communities in Bangladesh are represented in global conversations and that locally developed knowledge continues to inform international action.
“Friendship looks forward to sharing insights from communities living and adapting on the frontlines of climate change,” the organization said in a statement.
The delegation’s activities at COP17 will also provide an opportunity to exchange knowledge with international stakeholders and explore approaches that can contribute to more inclusive and community-centered climate action.
Friendship’s participation is being undertaken in connection with the UNCCD COP17, which brings together global stakeholders to discuss pathways for addressing land degradation and desertification and strengthening resilience.
The organization said it will continue to follow developments from Ulaanbaatar and share updates on its engagement at the conference.
Among those associated with Friendship’s participation are Friendship founder and executive director Runa Khan and Kazi Amdadul Hoque.
The delegation’s presence at COP17 underscores the growing importance of connecting international climate and land-restoration policy with the practical realities faced by communities that are already experiencing the consequences of environmental change.
