BSS-21 Project launched to improve livelihoods of 4m urban poor

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ZCZC

BSS-21

URBAN-PROJECT

Project launched to improve livelihoods of 4m urban poor

DHAKA, July 3, 2019 (BSS) – For the development of living standard of the
city’s poverty-stricken populace of 4 million, United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) has launched a six-year project titled ‘Livelihoods
Improvement of Urban Poor Communities Project (LIUPCP)’ along with the
Bangladesh government’s Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and
Local Government Division (LGD).

The inception meeting of the project was held in Dhaka South City
Corporation’s Mayor Mohammad Hanif Auditorium here today, a UNDP press
release said.

During his speech as the chief guest, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor
Mohammad Sayeed Khokon said, “On one hand the income inequality has been
increasing and on the other hand the population is also increasing rapidly.
To escape the environmental crisis, many landless villagers have been
migrating to the city. While trying to search for livelihood and economic
solvency to alleviate their poverty, they are facing many crises. This is
making a negative impact on the other city-dwellers.” He said Dhaka South
City Corporation was committed to delivering facilities to all citizens.

As special guest, United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Resident
Representative Sudipto Mukerjee in his speech said, “UNDP has been working
for more than a decade to eradicate urban poverty in Bangladesh. And for this
we’ve always had United Kingdom’s Department for International Development
(DFID) by our side.

For our new project titled ‘Livelihoods Improvement of Urban Poor
Communities Project’, which has been launched after the success of the
previous project (2008-2015) ‘Urban Partnership for Poverty Reduction’
(UPPR), we’ve also had DFID for financial assistance.

The new project’s objective is to achieve long-term sustainable growth by
eradicating urban poverty and to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by
2030.”

With the help of this new project, he is hopeful that the urban poor will
be empowered and as a result they would be able to make their own decisions
in poverty reduction policies and activities.

He added that Bangladesh cannot transition from a low-income country to a
middle-income country without considering the large number of poor people
residing in the city.

Earlier, Ashekur Rahman, Head of Poverty and Urbanization, UNDP
Bangladesh, made a presentation on the project interventions.

Initiated in 2018, LIUPC Project works in five major areas and the major
activities in each area include: Climate resilient housing for low-income
urban poor; Strengthen community organizations in informal settlements;
Skills and employment generation for women and girls; Improve resilient
infrastructure, and Strengthen pro-poor urban management, policy and
planning.

The project is designed to reach initially the unserved and underserved
urban population in Bangladesh. It aims to promote livelihoods and living
conditions of four million poor people living in urban areas in up to 36 City
Corporations and Paurashavas (12 City Corporations and 24 Class A
Paurashavas) in phases.

In project interventions, women and peoples with disabilities will get
priority.

Mostafizur Rahman, Additional Secretary & Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
DSCC, chaired the meeting and Abdul Mannan, Joint Secretary and National
Project Director, LIUPC Project, Local Government Division, also spoke on the
occasion.

BSS/PR/MRI/ARS/1913 hrs