INTEGRATED COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAM STRATEGY TOWARDS COPING AND ADAPTATION WITH THE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS

Climate Change affecting Poor People's life

Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today. Rising global temperatures due to climate change will bring changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Different researchers found that the country is situated beside the Bay of Bengal,. About 20 districts of the coastal region of the country will be affected due to the sea level rise. Moreover, the country is extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts because of its geographical location, historically disaster prone, high population density, high levels of poverty and the reliance of livelihoods on climate-sensitive sectors, particularly rural agriculture and fisheries.  The nature of sufferings due to the climate change is vast wide in multiple sectors in Bangladesh.

Temperature of the earth surface is steadily increasing for which autumn start late and the spring comes earlier. On the other hand, the duration of winter is decreasing. These are affecting food production system of the country.

The rate of sea level is steadily rising during last two decades. The ice is melting of the Arctic, Himalayan and Siberian etc is increasing sea level and different research studies found that these may affect over 70 million people in Bangladesh.

The variation of rainfall is increasing among the regions and seasons due to the climate change. The extreme nature of rainfall affects on agriculture and livelihood system.

Agricultural Production and Food Security is affected through extreme change of temperature, rainfall and water supply in many areas. Study proved that 27% of Aus Crops, 61% of Wheat and 55% irrigation Crops negatively affected by the impact of climate change.

Ecosystem and Biodiversity is getting destroyed due to the natural calamities and extreme weather. Like the SIDR of 2007 greatly affected the Sundarbans ecosystem and biodiversity.

 Frequency and intensity of natural disaster like cyclone has increased due to Climate change affects. In every year it happened in the country which directly affect to the people and their livelihood, nature and environment. 

Due to the geographical setting of the country make and the affects of Climate change results unexpected flood for which the country lose crops, domestic animals, livelihood and infrastructure every year.

Another impact of climate change is river bank erosion. Every year, the country is losing lands, houses, trees, domestic animals and livelihoods.

Rise of sea level is a cause of water salinity in many regions which is affecting on drinking water crisis and agricultural production. On the other hand, sea level will create problem of urban drainage.

Due to the affect of climate change, village people of disaster-prone areas are migrating to urban areas for survival. They take shelter in the open space, parks, roadsides etc and sometime they use to get involved in different unlawful activities. This process tends to create haphazard urbanization which causes to increase the social violence.

National Commitment to meet the Challenges    

Bangladesh has introduced a National Plan of Action (NPAP) on climate change for next 10 years. The six pillars NPAP would help to develop capacity of the country to meet the challenges of Climate change:

·         Food Security, Social Protraction and Health

·         Comprehensive Disaster Management

·         Infrastructure

·         Research and Knowledge Management

·         Mitigation and Low Carbon Emission

·         Capacity Building

What we did to mitigate the effects

UST has already proved itself as a quick-response organization when any events occurred due to the climate change affects. Since its beginning it has been providing both software and hardware support to the affected areas and its population.

Capacity Building through different types of trainings, workshops with the local government, GO and NGO representatives, local people on different disaster issues like management and preparedness, mitigation, adaptation, livelihood etc. 

UST has constructed a two-storied school cum cyclone shelter after country's historic cyclone in 1991, in Kutubdia, Cox's Bazar district following the emergency need.

UST has played pioneer role in relief distribution in 1988, 1991, 1995, 2004, 2007  respectively in Tangail, Cox's Bazar, Narayanganj and Borguna. It distributed foods, water, cloths and candles etc as relief materials.

After cyclone and flood, it has taken initiatives for rehabilitation of the affected people. It has reconstructed and repaired houses using the local technology; reinstalled and repaired the sanitation facilities like home made latrine, ring-slab latrines, community latrines; reinstalled and repaired the water technologies following the indigenous method as it was appropriate in the area.  Besides, it has delivered the education materials i.e. books, pens, pencils, pages etc.

UST has taken some immediate actions for livelihood development for those who were affected by the cyclone, flood or river erosion. It has provided boats, nets and other fishing materials to the fishermen in the affected areas. Besides, for the people who were affected by drought? Livelihood training, cum income generating activities like homestead gardening, seeds distribution; social forestation, goats' distribution etc. were also provided to the affected people.

Program Strategy of UST towards coping and adaptation with the Climate Change impacts

Community based Technological Option

UST has innovated different Water and Sanitation technological facilities which are very much appropriate for the climate change affected areas. It has developed the strategy to implement these facilities in the community to ensure accessibility to water and sanitation of the affected people who are living in the flood-prone areas, char and drought-prone areas.

Infrastructure Development

The strategy of community based infrastructure development will ensure that existing assets are well maintained and fit for use. Following the strategy UST plans to raise plinth level of the household so that flood water can not destroy houses during flood. It also plans for Road and River side Tree Plantation in the flood-prone areas and char areas and Green Belt as natural wall in the coastal areas to protect the climate change effect. UST also plans to upgrade  the flood shelter where there are limited accesses to water, sanitation, health services, social safety etc for women and adolescent girls. 

Community Empowerment

UST has different and unique strategy for community empowerment. It believes people centered resources mobilization in community level which is called community based resources mobilization. This savings will help the affected people whenever any event occurs. Besides, UST emphasize on social awareness of all people including the women and children to help protect from climate change. UST's training department offers Capacity Building and Knowledge Development training to enhance the capacity of the community people, civil societies, private sectors, government agencies on the changing climate, what impacts are likely to happen in Bangladesh and how to respond to the changes so that development is not compromised. The course also provides guidance to knowledge sources and resources on climate change, explaining the relevance of each module to the learning process. 

Copping with Climate Change Situation, Food Security and Livelihood

UST has taken the strategy to introduce innovative system of cropping like floating cropping in the flood-prone and char areas following the climate change effect to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable in society including marginal farmers will have access to cropping. This innovative cropping strategy on river, cannel, pond or any kind of marshy land will ensure food production during the flood and ensure food security to the poor and ultra poor people. For economic sustainability, following the strategy, UST wants to work for innovative income generating in the vulnerable areas for different types of people like fishermen, marginal farmers including poor and poorest and vulnerable women.

Research and Advocacy

UST wants to carry out research on Climate change and its impact on the macro-economy; socio-economy; poverty and vulnerability; livelihood and food security; health service including disease incidence, nutrition, water, hygiene and sanitation to identify possible interventions and to advocacy at National and International Level to identify problems and innovate facilities resilient to climate change impact for the poor and vulnerable households.

People's Development is in People's hand

Unnayan Shahojogy Team (UST) is a national NGO working in Bangladesh since 1986. It is registered with NGO Affairs Bureau in Bangladesh (Redg. No.291). It mobilizes available resources for the benefits of the rural poor, especially for the disadvantaged women and children. UST has been working in typical geographical (Char) areas in Bangladesh with the disadvantaged people, especially with women; children and adolescent girls to promote and protect their right. UST also works at grass root level with civil society for strengthening local governance towards sustainable development.

Present Climate Change Programmes

·         Local Adaptation for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion with reference to climate change in Rural Bangladesh.

·         Improvement of Poor People's Livelihood through integrated approach towards ensuring Food and Disaster Management.

·         Food Security for Ultra Poor.

·         Achieving Sustainable Livelihood of the Poor women towards Economic Empowerment and Coping with Natural Disaster