Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Sundarbans Dependent Community through Climate Resilient Livelihoods

 
Project interventions displayed in the map of Dumuria village

Project interventions displayed in the map of Dumuria villag ... , Gabura, Shyamnagar, Satkhira, Bangladesh © CNRS, 2013

Objectives

Long term goal:

‘Diversified land-water based livelihoods and increased food security reduced anthropogenic pressure on SRF resources’. 

Immediate Objective:

‘Climate resilient livelihoods enhanced adaptive capacity of SRF dependent communities in Dumuria village’

Background

Being located in lands which is below the mean sea level makes the target area is highly susceptible to coastal hazards like cyclones, storm surges, high tides, flooding due to surge and erratic rainfall, high salinity, prolonged drought  and erosion.  Apart from these climate related stressors, the areas is also vulnerable to various non climatic stressors that include conversion of over 80% crop lands to salt water shrimp ghers which started since late eighties in this island which excluded a huge numbers of landless poor who used to subsist as agricultural laborers in pre shrimp regime. Majority of these people became dependent on resource collection from the Sundarbans reserved forest (SRF) as an easy alternative but that created increased pressures on the SRF and consequent degradation of the forest. Massive shrimp ghers as mentioned degraded local environment by increasing the soil and water salinity, damage of grazing areas, rice farming, dying of vegetation and forest coverage and made the livelihoods of the poor full of uncertainty. 

Target beneficiaries

The project targets small and marginal farmers to be engaged with saline tolerant rice cultivation and winter rice cultivation. Small gher farmers will be benefitted by the project activities. In addition to other activities women will be exclusively engaged in homestead farming by minimizing affect of salinity. In addition to the above criteria beneficiaries will also be targeted based on their dependency on SRF.


Through the project activities, unproductive or less productive land will become productive again that we expect result into their increased income. Targeted and other non targeted beneficiary will also be able to extend saline tolerant farming in other non-trialed lands. Ghers that are not suitable for rice or shrimp culture will go productive with sweet water golda cultivation and other carp species. Produces from homestead will supplement HHs consumption and thus will save money that they ought to spend in market.

Outputs

• Fifty five (55) HHs practiced different climate resilient livelihood options

• Reservoir capacity of pond and canal increased by re-excavation

Accomplishments and challenges

Success of the project depends mainly on community ownership and sustainability. For this project Community was engaged in each phase of problem identification and solution analysis. Through the project period, Multi-stakeholders Platform (MSP) will be further strengthened so that they can take over and continue good practices after completion of the project. Apart from this, a wider community of local farmers, resource collectors, practitioners and policy makers will be communicated through project result so that they can replicate good practices in other area of the country.

Contributions to cross-cutting themes

The project comes under the Danida funded mangroves and climate change component of MFF and it contributes to the crosscutting issues of MFF including climate change and capacity building.

Project Facts

Country

Location

The project will be implemented in Dumuria village of Gabura union located at the southernmost tip of Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira district but disconnected from the mainland gives it a shape like island as the whole union is surrounded by large rivers.

Topic

Duration

18th Jun 2013 to 17th Dec 2014

MFF Grant Amount

14,26,000 BDT

Implementing Partner

Center for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS)

Contact: www.cnrs.org.bd

" This project is contributing to build our confidence that we can earn a better living even without the fish catch from Sundarbans. Through MFF support, I am running an integrated rice-prawn-fish farm. I hope for a good yield this year"

Mr Mahashek, Gabura, Shyamnagar
01.10.2013

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