This work was carried out under the

Collaborative Adaptation Research

Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA),

with financial support from the UK

Government’s Department for

International Development (DFID) and

the International Development

Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. The

views expressed in this work are those

of the creators and do no necessarily

represent those of DFID and IDRC or

its Board of Governors.

Website: www.deccma.comTwitter: @deccma

The State of Governance of Climate Change Adaptation in Coastal

GBM Districts of Bangladesh Md. Rashed Alam Bhuiyan & Prodip K. Das

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU)

DECCMA 6th Consortium Workshop, 16-21 January 2017, Southampton, UK

**Mohammad Rashed Alam Bhuiyan, Co investigator, E-mail ID: rashedgreen@yahoo.com

*Prodip K. Das, Research Assistant, E-mail ID: pkd.dip@gmail.com

Introduction

Low-lying southern coastal districts of Bangladesh are vulnerable to

climate change, especially for its huge population density, exposure to

frequent disasters and lack of local adaptive options. Asset loss, resource

constraints, lack of adaptation finance are major stumbling blocks in

people’s effort towards rebuilding and fighting climatic shocks. The

Bangladesh government is committed to address the climate change issues

by framing different policies and action initiatives.

Abstract

This poster examines the governance of adaptations

programs of government, NGOs, and affected

communities of 4 coastal district of Bangladesh. An

assessment is based on peoples’ perception.

Methodology

Multi-hazard mapping

Stakeholder mapping ( 1 National & 2 district level)

13 FGDs from 3 districts

Findings Adaptation initiatives taken by different organizations

Theme Government intervention NGOs Intervention Autonomous AdaptationC

lim

ate

-

Res

ilie

nt

Ph

ysi

cal

Infr

ast

ruct

ure

s

Construction of embankment,

Riverbed management/TRM,

Multi purpose cyclone shelters/schools

Construction of approach roads/culverts, killas

Guchhogram, Asrayon

Climate resilient infrastructure

Cyclone Shelters

Approach road construction

Resettlement project

Climate resilient housing structure

Raising home plinth,

Raising height of tube-well basement,

toilet and pond side

Climate resilient housing structure

Agri

cult

ure

inn

ovati

on

Agricultural seed supply

Economic assistance,

Agricultural subsidies,

Restriction on fishing during reproductive

season

Modern agricultural technologies,

Agricultural seed/HYV seed supply

Short duration cropping

Climate stress tolerant cropping

Farmer Field School (FFS)

Farmers forum, Micro Finance &

Capacity Building (IGA)

Cultivation of vegetable in dikes

Raising seedbed platform

Homestead vegetable gardening

Crop diversification

Fresh water aquaculture

Backyard livestock production

Cash crop cultivation i.e. Soybean

Alt

ern

ati

ve

inco

me

gen

era

tin

g

act

ivit

ies Low interest loan

Economic assistance

Subsidy/grant for livestock production

Government allowances (i.e. VGF)

Micro credit

Livelihood training

Alternative livelihood creation

Integrated fish farming

Animal Husbandry/Poultry Farming

Small and petty business,

Raising livestock (hen, duck)

Changing livelihoods,

Women work outside the home

Mo

bil

ity/M

igra

tio

n

People move to Guchhogram, Asrayon, Char Development

and Settlement Project areas

Provision to the settlers of a legal title to land

In government initiated resettlement Project

under the social and livelihood support

subcomponent NGOs provide micro-finance

services, education training on income-

generating activities and disaster

management, raise awareness for legal rights,

and extend health and family planning

services.

Migration as an income adaptation.

Living on embankments & government Khasland.

Ca

pa

city

bu

ild

ing

mea

sure

s/C

lim

ate

-

Res

ilie

nt

Bio

ph

ysi

cal

or

Gre

en

Infr

ast

ruct

ure

Improving early warning,

Cyclone preparedness etc.

Tree plantation

Mangrove forestation

Awareness building

Training on DRR issues

Advocacy Initiative

Awareness building

Water purification training

Training on agricultural innovation

Livelihood training

Tree plantation

Using Indigenous knowledge to minimize

disaster vulnerability.

Tree plantation as a disaster mitigation strategy

i.e. to reduce temperature rising/oxygen

producer.

Oth

ers

(Hea

lth

&

Sa

nit

ati

on

,

Ed

uca

tio

n) Access to pure drinking water

Free education

Provide sanitary latrine

Installed community clinic/Health centre

Pond Sand Filter (PSF),

Water tank ,

Wash programme

Free education (i.e. BRAC school)

Child food programme

Rain water harvesting

Drink river water using Alum /Fitkri

Reserve rain water adjacent to Killa

Multiple use of rain water

People perception on current state and crisis of Governance of adaptation projects and practices

Government Issues NGO Issues Autonomous

Governance

of

infrastructura

l adaptations

Lack of planning and research on sustainable adaptation

techniques

Inadequate peoples’ participation in planning and implementation

process

Unplanned embankments,

Lack of coordination between and among different public and

private sectors

Mismanagement of the project, i.e. irregular river dredging

Inappropriate and untimely implementation,

Lack of regular maintenance and monitoring mechanism,

Lack of accountability and transparency

Non activeness of local committee

Lack of technical knowledge in a changing situation

Lack of funding and delayed budget disbursement.

Using adaptation fund for normal development activities

Lack of wider coverage,

High pricing (Solar energy)

profit centric

Short term project and try to

show case good practice

Lack of resources i.e.

(allocate a land to build

structure to fulfill

community needs),

Lack of coordination and

stimulating leadership.

Crisis of like-mindedness.

Hard to reach consensus

to make any community

effort

Diminishing social

bonding

Agriculture

innovation

Lack of policy coherence, (commercial policy Vs climate change

adaptation strategy)

Lack of inter-ministerial coordination,

Inadequate research i.e. Entrepreneurs are affected by virus in

aquaculture but no initiatives taken for virus prevention

Lack of funding or resources to experiment agricultural

innovations

Inaccessible technologies for cropping saline/drought tolerant

varieties

Lack of reach, People's limited access to adaptation implemented

by Government

Poor communication strategy in terms of informing adaptation

innovations, policies

Absence of crop insurance system

NGO workers know better

about field activities and

provide counseling services

Inadequate production and

marketing,

High pricing, Commercial

approach

Repetition of activities or

schemes and absence of

coordination among the

NGOs.

Fewer naturally grown

resources (firewood,

vegetables, fruit) available to

adaption

Non awareness

Cri

sis

of

go

ver

nan

ce i

n

alt

ern

ati

ve

inco

me

gen

erati

ng a

ctiv

itie

s

Most of these alternative income generating activities are

autonomously initiated

Lack of government priority for alternative livelihood generation

Limited financial support from government

Lack of Subsidy for livestock production

lack of marketing facilities specially for women

High interest rate if anyone

takes micro credit for

income generation

Short term project and try to

show case good practice

Lack of fund

Shortage of skilled

manpower

Mobility/

Migration

No department for monitoring internal migration

No strategy on pro or anti internal migration

No safety net for migrants

Lack of tenure security

Inefficient management in resettlement projects (Migration to

resettlement sites is governed by local administration of

government).

Insecurity in destination

Lack of alternative

livelihood opportunity

Shortage of skilled

manpower

Insecurited left behind

family members of the

migrants

Capacity

building

measures

Lack of operating mechanism to target the marginalised group

Coastal forestation project failing due to no alternative livelihood to

reduce stress on forest

Others Health facilities non availability in remote areas Lack of community

awareness

Successful adaptation activities

Homestead raising , raising plinth

Cyclone Shelter

Homestead vegetable gardening

Aquaculture, Soyabin cultivation

Awareness raising training, CCP

Migration

Women working outside or involvement in

economic activities (NGOs Jobs, or local grocery

stores, tea stalls, tailoring, livestock rearing,

making handicrafts i.e. mat, Katha)

Livestock farming

Asharayon project

0

5

10

15

20

25

Identified adaptations from Stakeholder meeting

Government

NGOs

Autonomous

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Identified adaptations from FGDs

Government

NGOs

Autonomous

Conclusion The role of governance is pivotal in a changing climate and addressing the challenges faced by delta populations.

Though there are some successful model of adaptation implementation i.e. multi-purpose cyclone shelters, CCP, capacity building training but governing style of

country’ many other large scale adaptation activities such as construction of embankment , river management, installation of PSF etc. have had crisis of governance.

Major crisis of governance includes; lack of proper planning and inadequate research, unplanned embankments, lack of coordination within various department of

government, mismanagement of the project, inappropriate and untimely implementation, lack of regular maintenance and proper monitoring mechanism, non involvement

of local people in planning and implementation and lack of funding and delayed budget disbursement.

“We are being informed about the

danger signal through radio or

television. Union Disaster

Management Committee (UDMC)

of Union Parishad under CPP

(Cyclone Preparedness Program)

also informs us. Deputy

Commissioner’s s Office, executive

officers, members of Union

Parishad keeps them busy all the

twenty-four hours during the

disaster. They try hard to bring

people of backwards area to cyclone

center. NGOs are working for

building awareness. They have

taught us how to response in

disaster. They told us to save food,

fresh water. They also gave pot so

that we can save food and water

(FGD: Female, Bagerhat)

We have no work here. What can we do? So

migration is generally helpful for us. Even it

is better to go outside the country by

borrowing money from others. If they repay

the loan within two years, they will have a

bright future. It is very rare that migration

brings bad luck to us.”

(FGD: Soutkhali, Bagerhat, Female)

This embankment has not been maintained or

repaired for a long time. Worse, the prawn

cultivators have set hundreds of pipes that

have weakened the mud shield which easily

collapsed when Aila hit," says Nuru of

Dacope village. The owners of shrimp ponds

(gher) manage to set these illegal gois by

bribing the Bangladesh Water Development

Board (BWDB) officials.“.(SH Meeting

Khulna).