Search results

Like many other nations, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) is having colossal difficulties managing the continuity of its development efforts in the milieu of COVID-19 pandemic. Widespread resource gap is evident for development budget due to significant diminution of revenue from readymade garments (RMG) and remittances, volatility in capital market, constant increase in trade deficit and reduction of foreign currency reserve, increase in debt and lack of investor confidence. A new horizon of relationship with development partners (DPs) will matter more than ever before. Regrettably, recent experience with collaborative mechanisms such as Local Consultative Group (LCG) and LCG Sector Working Group (LCG-WG) does not support high-impact relationships in terms of result-oriented development effectiveness. Arguably, the international shift of the development community from aid to development effectiveness agenda in 2011 also contributed to country-level motivation of Government and DPs for closer collaboration. In this backdrop, the COVID-19 crisis makes a strong call to both Government and DPs to change their business for improved development results. This chapter, therefore, examines the issues that impede development effectiveness and governance related to the Government as well as DPs. The study observe that the DPs and GoB don’t represent a horizontal relationship to implement the development effectiveness agenda in Bangladesh mainly because of dominant attitude, lack of alignment and harmonization and accountability of DPs and weak policy, institution and leadership of GoB. However, COVID-19 economic crisis makes a renewed call to both DPs and GoB implement the development effectiveness agenda, addressing existing issues and improve the management of development finance to increase economic growth and improve life of the people.

The political factors of a country have a high influence over the economic development process. Economic development came at a high cost to the environment, from climate change to biodiversity loss when the government’s development policies disdain environmental aspects. People of lower socio-economic countries are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards related to irresponsible economic development which is sometimes disregarded by the political leaders. These politics-induced economic development causes the degradation of environmental quality and damages the ecological structures and processes upon which it depends, which have ultimately raised the question of environmental sustainability of the future generation. With the name of increasing living standards through frenetic economic activity, the world community has been destroying the natural resources and global ecosystems without conserving for the next generations’ well-being. However, using a qualitative approach, the chapter reflects the correlations among the political determinants and the economic development, and examines the issues that impede environmental sustainability. It explores how politics and economic development have driven environmental degradation and accelerated climate change. The chapter minimises the knowledge gaps in politics, development, and environment nexus by providing a comprehensive account of the dynamic interplay between different variables.