Disaster resilience, humanitarian response and climate change

Bangladesh is well known for its high profile floods and cyclones, yet parts of North West Bangladesh suffer with the opposite problem of insufficient water. And for many years the North West has suffered with insufficient food growth to sustain the population. As water tables fall, and regular climatic patterns change, the severity of the problem is rapidly increasing.

Tearfund UK supports LAMB’s project to help churches and communities in North West Bangladesh to minimise the effects of disasters, particularly those arising or worsening through climate change. Communities in disaster prone areas will be better prepared, more resilient and healthy, reducing impact from:

  • Damaged crops and loss of livestock, which reduces income and increases malnutrition

  • Houses, schools, roads, and culverts destroyed

  • Serious waterborne diseases, especially of women and children

There has been widespread introduction of shallow tube-wells, which enable irrigation of the production of an extra rice crop in the dry winter months. The introduction of an expanded variety of rice allows better survival even in a bad flood season.

Disaster Management Committees

Encouraged by LAMB staff and local church and community leaders, who have been trained in Community Development and Disaster Management, these committees are growing in confidence of the important role they play. Communities, groups and churches are taking joint responsibility for the community as they develop sustainability together. They provide education on climate change and its impact to others, creating opportunities to understand environmental issues and help them take action to reduce degradation.

Approach: Community-Based Adaptation

Community groups identify people who are most vulnerable to disaster and climate-change risks. They raise awareness of flood or drought-resistant farming methods, alternative livelihoods, planning ahead for availability of food and water during floods, and volunteers for rescue efforts if needed.

Waste Management Project

The Shaymol Bangla (Green Bangladesh) project is an initiative to ensure proper management of waste towards environmental sustainability. In partnership with Parbatipur Municipality the key approach is to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.

Funded by Tearfund, the project intends to have a healthy and resilient community enjoying the benefits of proper waste management in Parbatipur municipality. By educating targeted people and students, establishing household to institutional level waste segregation and a collection and dumping system that will create income generating initiatives.