Project Notice |
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| PNR | 696 |
| Project Name | Adaptation to Climate Change and Rehabilitation of Livelihoods in Selected Districts of South Bangla |
| Project Detail | Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, such as tropical cyclones, floods, severe rainstorms and droughts. Bangladesh’s coastal region faces a rising sea level; high tides and saline water are already encroaching further inland and destroying agricultural land. In 2007, Cyclone Sidr caused an estimated 2.3 billion dollars of damage, primarily along the coast. Harvests, livelihoods and essential infrastructure, such as approach roads and school buildings, as well as the houses, ponds and tube wells of over two million families were destroyed. The same area was affected again in 2009 by Cyclone Aila. Large parts of the embankments were breached, flooding the homes and farmland of thousands of people. Objectives Selected vulnerable communities in Barguna, Patuakhali and Bhola districts have become more resilient to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change. Farmers have adopted appropriate farming methods, while communities, schools and households have an increased level of awareness and preparedness. Approach The project combines efforts to restore the livelihoods and means of production destroyed by the two cyclones of 2007 and 2009, with approaches for medium- and long-term adaptation to climate change. It focuses on vulnerable households in selected communities in the districts of Barguna, Patuakhali and Bhola (Barisal Division). It provides support for climate-resilient agricultural production and alternative income-generating activities, as well as community- and school-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. The project takes into account market alignment, economic efficiency, social compatibility, gender issues and the ownership of the innovations. While the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) is the lead agency, the project also cooperates with different government institutions and non-governmental organisations at national, district and local levels. Partner NGOs include the Resource Development Foundation (RDF), the Wave Foundation, Gonoshastha Kendra (GK), INCIDIN Bangladesh, and the Association for Disaster Mitigation and Development (ADMD). The project promotes agricultural technologies for climate change adaptation. It provides capacity building and start-up support for farmers and promotes appropriate seeds, including salt-tolerant varieties of rice and other crops, as well as livestock and poultry rearing. The project also encourages rural women to engage in homestead gardening, enabling them to produce more fruits and vegetables, both for domestic consumption and for the market. It stresses domestic consumption in order to improve nutrition, particularly for poor women and children. Off-farm and non-farm livelihoods activities include small-scale enterprises, such as grocery shops, tea stalls, rickshaw vans, tailoring shops, fishing net production and domestic weaving by Rakhine women (an ethnic minority). The project promotes these activities through in-kind and financial start-up support, the provision of skills’ training, value-chain development and the formation of community interest groups. It promotes the CEFE approach (Competency-Based Economies through Formation of Enterprises). This is an action-oriented, experiential learning method used to develop and enhance the business management and personal competencies of illiterate and semi-literate women and men. The CEFE training module has been revised to include disaster preparedness and disaster management, as well as means of coping with the impacts of climate change. Disaster preparedness in communities and schools: Community-level disaster preparedness action groups have been formed, which pay special attention to female-headed households and members of deprived minority groups. As part of the project, these groups are developing disaster preparedness action plans for their communities. They hold information sessions to help households draw up disaster preparedness plans for their families. The project cooperates with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and the Cyclone Preparedness Programme to provide training in such areas as disaster preparedness, community-based first aid, search and rescue, and water rescue. At the same time, the local government, the Union Parishads, and the Union Disaster Management committees at the grassroots level receive assistance for the development of action plans. Disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation are also promoted at local schools. Here, the project supports the reinforcement of school buildings and provides training to teachers and selected students. This training is based on the extra-curricular text books on ‘Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction’ developed jointly by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and GIZ. The project supplies first-aid and rescue equipment to schools that have received training and developed a disaster contingency plan. |
| Funded By | Other Funding Agencies |
| Sector | Food & Agriculture |
| Country | Ghana , Western Africa |
| Project Value | Plz Refer Document |
Contact Information |
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| Company Name | German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) |
| Address | Postfach 12 03 22, 53045 Bonn, Germany, Tel: +49 / 228 / 9 95 35-0, Fax: +49 / 228 / 9 95 35-35 00. |
| Web Site | http://www.bmz.de/ |
