Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, August 29, 2026: Bangladesh Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, MP, held four important bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar.
The meetings focused on strengthening cooperation in land degradation and drought management, climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, renewable energy, trade, labour migration and institutional collaboration.
Minister Mintoo stressed the importance of stronger regional and international partnerships to address transboundary challenges such as climate change and land degradation.
“Bangladesh is keen to share its experience and expertise with partner countries while also learning from successful initiatives and best practices in other countries,” he said.
Bangladesh-India Cooperation
Meeting with India’s Environment Minister
During a meeting with Indian Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister H.E. Bhupender Yadav on August 24, the two sides discussed expanding long-standing cooperation in environment and climate-related areas.
The discussions covered joint initiatives on climate-resilient agriculture, efficient water-resource management, drought-risk management, and forest and biodiversity conservation.
The two ministers also discussed protecting the Sundarbans and coastal ecosystems in the Bay of Bengal region, along with greater use of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technologies and strengthening technical capacity.
Cooperation in renewable and clean energy also featured prominently in the discussions. The two sides explored opportunities for exchanging experience and technology in solar power, battery energy storage, land-efficient renewable energy technologies and environmentally sustainable energy management.
Trade and Labour Migration with Mongolia
In a meeting with Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh on Tuesday, Minister Mintoo discussed ways to deepen friendly relations between Bangladesh and Mongolia and strengthen diplomatic representation, including through the opening of embassies in the two countries.
The meeting also covered opportunities to expand bilateral trade, particularly Bangladesh’s exports of agricultural products, processed food, pharmaceuticals and readymade garments to Mongolia.
Considering demand in the Mongolian labour market, the two sides discussed opportunities for safe and regular employment of skilled and semi-skilled Bangladeshi workers in sectors including construction, services and agriculture.
They stressed the importance of government-to-government arrangements, recognition of skills and qualifications, and ensuring adequate protection for migrant workers.
Climate Change and Migration
Meeting with IOM Deputy Director General (Operations)
During a meeting with Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General (Operations) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on August 26, Minister Mintoo discussed the links between climate change and migration.
The discussions focused on strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacity of climate-vulnerable communities and ensuring safe, orderly and regular migration.
The meeting also highlighted the need for stronger international cooperation to address the growing challenges associated with climate-induced human mobility.
Bangladesh-Mongolia Environmental Cooperation
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Meeting with Mongolia’s Environment and Climate Change Minister
In another meeting with Mongolian Environment and Climate Change Minister H.E. Sandag-Ochir Tsend on August 28, the two sides discussed institutionalizing environmental and climate cooperation between Bangladesh and Mongolia.
They explored the possibility of preparing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on environmental and climate cooperation.
Potential areas of collaboration identified during the meeting included land restoration, biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation, sustainable natural-resource management and capacity building.
Bangladesh expressed interest in learning from Mongolia’s experience in rangeland management, desertification control and drought resilience. At the same time, Bangladesh offered to share its experience in wetland, coastal and community-based ecosystem restoration.
The two sides also discussed advancing cooperation through GIS and remote sensing technologies, drought early-warning systems, expert exchanges, training, joint research and pilot projects.
Bangladesh Looks to Expand Climate Partnerships
Minister Mintoo expressed hope that the discussions held on the sidelines of COP17 would lead to practical and sustained cooperation with the countries and organizations concerned.
He said such partnerships could help create new opportunities for collaboration in environmental protection, climate resilience and sustainable development while further strengthening Bangladesh’s international engagement in addressing land degradation and climate-related challenges.
