PROMOTION OF ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND CLIMATE VARIABILITY IN BANGLADESH (FOCUSED ON NOAKHALI COASTS)

Project location: Sadar and Subarno Char Thanas of Noakhali District
Project duration: Phase-I, duration: 18 months. December 2004 – May 2006
Funded by: The Netherlands Climate Change Assistance Programme

INTRODUCTION

The 720 km long coastline of Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to the sea level rise (SLR) in the Bay of Bengal on account of the low-lying deltaic environment. The tropical cyclones, which strike the coastal areas periodically, create misery and loss of life, property and ecosystem damages. The total area of the coastal belt is about 39,300 sq km (27 percent of the country’s total area), and more than 29 million people (22 percent of the national population) live in this fragile and vulnerable area. Climate change may influence erosion, accretion, floods, water logging, cyclones and tidal surges in the coastal region. On that basis, the people who live in the coastal area and are dependent on its resources for their livelihood already belong to a vulnerable category. The livelihood of the people has been affected by the impacts of the various manifestations of climate change in the sectors of agriculture, fishery, livestock, shrimp farming, off-farm activities including the locations of human settlements. Over the past centuries, these situations have made people devise unique coping strategies for survival. The future livelihoods and for that matter, human settlements in this region will depend on viable adaptation measures appropriate to meet the apprehended extent and consequences of global warming in the near future.

Considering the above, this project has been initiated with a view to studying the erosion-prone coastal charlands, their ever shifting inhabitants and their livelihood options and practices and shaping situation specific appropriate recommendations for adaptation in order to combat the future climatic scenarios. Since Noakhali is considered to be one of the most probable vulnerable coastal regions, the contiguous north to south stretching Noakhali Sadar and Subarno Char thanas have been selected as the project study site.

GOAL

Adaptation to climate change and climate variability considerations incorporated and promoted into the national development policy and planning regimes, and wide awareness of the associated emerging concerns created at the local level.

OBJECTIVE

To create enabling conditions in Bangladesh for promoting adaptation to climate change and climate variability in national policies and plans and also, to create awareness of the phenomena at the local community level with special focus on the residents of the coastal charlands of Noakhali district.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• To promote understanding of the impact of climate change and climate variability on the livelihood of the coastal communities living in the central part of the Bangladesh coastline, that is, Noakhali.
• To raise awareness of the impacts and adaptation to climate change and variability among the communities in the study areas as well as the key national policy makers through dissemination of information.
• To prepare a set of recommendations that will enunciate the methods of integrating climate change adaptation into various national actions focused on issues related to coastal zone management.

APPROACH

The project aims to integrate a participatory approach into an extended, in-depth and rigorous scientific study to achieve the project objectives. Therefore, the information collected will reflect the community’s opinions on the current situation and what they require for the future and will be complemented by an in depth analysis, by professionals, on the exact situation of the selected areas and the policies. Sustainable livelihood framework will be used extensively to understand the local vulnerability issues.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

1. Document local level coping measures
2. Analyze local institutions and their capacities
3. Commission impact studies on selected themes/sectors
4. Establish a Climate Change Adaptation Network
5. Develop and disseminate communication materials for raising awareness
6. Raise awareness of the impact and adaptation to climate change and variability through consultation at the local level
7. Analyze ICZM policy and develop recommendation options for adaptation to climate change and climate variability
8. Draft final report through synthesizing all information
9. Organize a final workshop at the national level

TIME FRAME

The project officially commenced in December 2004 and is expected to be completed by December 2007. The project will be implemented in two phases.
Phase I duration: 18 months. December 2004 – May 2006

OUTPUT

1. Documentation of local coping and adaptation strategies
2. Impact studies on selected themes/sectors
3. Review of coastal zone specific institutional arrangement and polices
4. Development of communication materials for raising awareness
5. Establishment of Climate Change Adaptation Network
6. Recommendations to integrate climate change adaptation into various national actions with focus on issues related to coastal zone management.

For further information, please contact:

Country Representative
IUCN – The World Conservation Union
Bangladesh Country Office House # 11, Road # 138
Gulshan – 1, Dhaka – 1212
Bangladesh
Tel: 880-2- 9890395, 9890423
Fax: 880 –2 - 9892854
E- mail: raquib@iucnbd.org
Web: www.iucnbd.org