Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has called on the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to assist Bangladesh in mapping its agricultural zones and strengthening land-use governance, warning that the country is losing nearly one percent of its cultivable land each year due to unplanned and unsustainable conversion.

She made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with a high-level ADB delegation at the Bangladesh Secretariat. The delegation was led by Tariq H. Niazi, Senior Director of ADB’s Public Sector Management and Governance Department, and Hoe Yun Jeong, Country Director of ADB Bangladesh.

Rizwana Hasan sought ADB’s technical and financial support to enhance food security by 2050 and promote sustainable land management.

She also stressed the importance of rainwater harvesting as an effective climate adaptation measure—particularly in coastal areas—and urged ADB to help scale up community-based water initiatives into national programmes.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to climate-resilient development, the adviser said several bankable projects under the Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP) would soon be shared with ADB for collaboration.

In response, ADB’s Senior Director Niazi expressed the Bank’s readiness to extend further funding and technical assistance to support Bangladesh’s climate resilience and institutional capacity.

ADB Country Director Jeong said the Bank is also mobilising private sector investment and that a mission from its Office of Market Development will visit Dhaka next week to explore financing opportunities.

Both sides agreed on the need for expediting pilot projects in river restoration, water management, and community adaptation to achieve visible results.