IFAD project benefits 3.44 lakh households  in haor areas

Some 3.44 lakh households in Bangladesh haor areas have been benefited by a project undertaken by United Nation's International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

More than half of the beneficiaries are women, according to a report titled "Building climate resilience in the Asia Pacific region" published by IFAD on Monday at its country office in Dhaka.

The project known as "Haor Infrastructure and Livelihoods Improvement Project/Climate Adaptation and Livelihood Protection (HILIP/CALIP)" aims to enhance livelihood opportunities in the haor basin and make poor people less vulnerable by increasing their resilience.

According to the report, more than 180,000 poor smallholder households have been trained to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Under the livelihood protection component, the project has provided vocational training to 8,701 people.

Moreover, the project has formed 434 community water resource user groups.

Their 11,316 members manage the swamp lakes to increase fish production and biodiversity.

Infrastructure to protect against flash floods and wave action has been built in 140 villages.  

As a result of the project's participatory rural appraisal and pro-poor targeting strategy, beneficiaries have been closely involved and highly committed.

"Life in the haor regions has always been unpredictable. My village was unprotected and exposed to waves and water," said Anjuli, a duck farmer from Haor.

"Every year, we collected money to try to protect the villages. Obviously, everyone wants to contribute, but with few income opportunities during the monsoon season, these donations are a financial burden for most families," she continued.

"Smallholders such as Anjuli and her family remain exposed to extreme weather events, which are expected to intensify with climatic changes.

But with better year-round access to services, and better information and protection, Anjuli and others can adapt, protecting their investments, livelihoods and families," reads the report.

Additionally, IFAD will conduct a live event at the IFAD Pavilion at COP26 on Wednesday, 3 November, which includes a virtual field trip to Bangladesh for the attendees.

The virtual trip aims to discover what steps small-scale farmers are taking to adapt to climate change.

Accompanied by documentary filmmaker Qasa Alom, the audience will virtually travel to the country to meet and interact with farmers who are participants of IFAD-supported projects.

The audience can have discussions with the farmers about the climate challenges they are facing and adapting.