No decision has been made yet over getting compensation for climate vulnerable countries, said Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin.

"No decision has been made yet regarding the compensation to the vulnerable countries including Bangladesh, though Bangladesh and other countries are still hopeful that a decision about financial assistance from the developing countries will come," he told UNB.

COP27 is taking place in Egypt from 6-18 November where Bangladesh is playing a crucial role as one of the top actors on behalf of the vulnerable countries that are desperate to get funds to tackle the impacts of climate change.

Due to climate change, natural disasters are occurring frequently around the globe. Owing to the impact of it, people not only experience the infrastructural damage, but also lose everything including income sources and crops, he said.

Because of increasing salinity, access to safe water is becoming difficult in coastal areas. As a result, people have to collect water from remote places, wasting working hours, he added.

Besides, the fishermen failed to catch fish during a certain period of time due to frequent depression in the Bay, forcing them to change their profession, said the minister.

Meanwhile, people are becoming homeless due to the riverbank erosion while people who depend on forests lose their work due to the heat wave, he said.

Replying to a question, the minister said "Loss and damage financing is on the agenda for discussion at the COP conference, and Bangladesh and other countries have welcomed the initiative. How the financing will be made, will be fixed through a framework, and it will take time."

Ziaul Haque, a member of the Bangladesh team, said that they are seeking a green climate fund or adaptation fund under the loss and damage formula, but the rich countries are not interested in it.

"They give money, but they do not give that as compensation...we just want funds," he said.

Md Shamsuddoha, a climate expert observing the climate conference, told UNB that it should be fixed what is loss and damage before financing.

"Damaging infrastructure during natural disasters is not a loss and damage, but the impact that natural disasters have on the livelihood of the local community would come under loss and damage by which people are directly affected."

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), said that the developing countries had promised to provide $100 billion as green fund, but they are now showing the Russia-Ukraine war as an excuse.

"It's not right. As a vulnerable country, the more we wait to get compensation, the more our losses will increase. We should take measures for quick preparations to overcome the damages."