DHAKA, March 23, 2021 (BSS) – Around 10,000 households of the country’s
coastal belt have received diversified and innovative climate resilient
livelihood under the Integrating Community-based Adaptation into
Afforestation and Reforestation (ICBAAR) Programme initiated in March 2017.
The information was revealed at a recent workshop jointly organized by the
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) at Patuakali, a UNDP press release said.
Bangladesh Forest Department and UNDP, in collaboration with seven
ministries and departments of government, with the financial support from
Global Environment Facility (GEF) is implementing the project which will be
completed in March 31, 2021.
Participating at the two-day workshop, beneficiary of Patharghata upazila
Rawshon Ara said: “Now we feel safer from natural disaster than any time of
the past as green coverage is now affording shade to cope with the possible
devastating consequences of natural calamities.”
Ruama, a beneficiary of Charfasson upazila, said: “Our early days were not
too easy as there was no adequate livelihood option. Now, we got new life
from the ICBAAR sorjone culture”.
To help Bangladesh realise the full adaptive potential of coastal
greenbelts, UNDP initiated ICBA-AR programme in 2017 aiming to increase
species diversity in the coastal forest, which will result in enhanced
socioeconomic benefits to local communities from the forests.
The programme endeavors to enhance resilience of climate vulnerable
coastal community through livelihood diversification and by linking their
livelihood aspiration with coastal greenbelt management.
The event shared success, innovation and lessons of the project among key
stakeholders and takes their feedback on formulating next generation project
in addressing multiple vulnerabilities of climate change of coastal
communities.
Stakeholders suggested designing integrated project in coastal area
through linking people in co-management of coastal mangrove and biodiversity
conservation.
They recommended including nature-based solution and conserving village
mangrove patch in addressing climate vulnerability. They also suggested
accounting role of coastal forest in climate mitigation along with
adaptation.
Chaired by Forest Conservator Harun-ur Rashid Khan, the workshop was
attended, among others, by Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary
Ziaul Hasan, Deputy Commissioner of Patuakhali Matiul Islam Chowdhury and
UNDP’s Programme Specialist Arif M Faisal.
Over 100 participants, including upazila nirbahi officers, upazila
agriculture, fisheries and livestock officers, forest officials of five
vulnerable coastal districts participated in the workshop following health
guidelines.
Representatives from Cyclone Preparedness Programme, Bangladesh Water
Development Board and NGOs, elected chairmen, project officials and
beneficiaries also joined the workshop.
The project has reforested 650 hectares of coastal greenbelt with 12
diversified species to provide knowledge to the forest officials for
overcoming species limitation.