Coastal adaptation project boosts resilience of over 700,000 people

A seven-year coastal adaptation initiative has strengthened climate resilience among more than 700,000 people in southwestern Bangladesh by improving access to safe drinking water, supporting women-led climate-resilient livelihoods and enhancing the capacity of communities and government institutions to respond to climate risks.

The achievements were highlighted at the Learning Sharing and Closing Workshop of the Gender-responsive Coastal Adaptation Project in Dhaka, where government representatives, development partners and community members called for sustaining and expanding its successful models in other climate-vulnerable coastal areas, said press release.

Implemented from January 2019 to June 2026, the project was supported by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Department of Women Affairs and the Department of Public Health Engineering.

The project directly and indirectly reached 719,229 people in Khulna and Satkhira. It helped 24,724 households adopt climate-resilient livelihood practices and enabled 144,597 people to gain year-round access to safe and reliable drinking water.

Under the initiative, more than 15,700 climate-resilient drinking water systems were established, while 720 government officials received training to improve their capacity in climate risk-informed planning and management.

Mohammad Masud Rana Chowdhury, additional secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, said a whole-of-society approach is essential for sustainable development.

“For sustainable development, we have no alternative to adopting a whole-of-society approach,” he said.

UNDP Bangladesh Deputy Resident Representative and Officer-in-Charge of the Resident Representative Sonali Dayaratne said the sustainability of the project’s interventions would determine its long-term success.

“The true measure of success will be how these interventions continue to benefit communities long after the project closes,” she said, adding that UNDP remains committed to supporting the government in scaling up successful adaptation models, strengthening local capacities and mobilising resources for climate-resilient development.

Md Abdul Hye Al Mahmud, additional secretary and national project director of the GCA Project, said women’s empowerment must be supported by sustainable income-generating opportunities.

Through salinity-tolerant agriculture, crab farming, hydroponics, homestead gardening and other livelihood options, women participants diversified their incomes and improved household food security.

Community-managed water systems also reduced dependence on unsafe water sources and saved women and girls time previously spent collecting water.

Participants said the project experience provides a strong foundation for scaling up integrated, locally led and gender-responsive climate adaptation initiatives across coastal Bangladesh.

Sarder M Asaduzzaman, assistant resident representative and head of Resilience and Inclusive Growth at UNDP Bangladesh; Sajal Kanti Banik, joint secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; Md Monir Hossain, additional director; and Ehtesamul Russel Khan, additional chief engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering, also spoke at the workshop.