Bangladesh launches $112m climate resilience project

The government has launched a US$112 million project to strengthen climate resilience and improve rural livelihoods in the flood-prone haor and drought-prone High Barind regions.
The Climate Resilience and Livelihood Enhancement Project (CRALEP), implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), is expected to benefit around 1.5 million people in 33 upazilas over six years.
The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Denmark.
CRALEP will focus on climate-resilient rural infrastructure, livelihood diversification and climate information services to help communities cope with floods, droughts and other climate-related risks.
The project will improve village roads, rural markets and boat landing facilities to help people access essential services and sell agricultural produce. In the haor region, it will also support walkways, water and sanitation facilities, raised shelters for people and harvested crops, and nature-based measures to protect villages from erosion.
The project will provide vocational and entrepreneurship training for young women and men and support employment opportunities for poor women through labour contracting societies.
It will also introduce flash flood early warning services in the haors and drought forecasting in the High Barind to help communities prepare for climate risks.
“The success of the project should therefore be measured not only by expenditure or physical outputs, but by whether communities become better connected, better protected, economically stronger and more resilient to climate shocks,” said Moslema Naznin, wing chief at the Economic Relations Division (ERD).
LGED Chief Engineer Md Belal Hossain said infrastructure, agriculture, livelihoods and climate information were interconnected.
“A resilient road improves access to markets. Better market access creates economic opportunities. Skills development increases employability. Climate information helps communities anticipate risks,” he said.
Anders B Karlsen, deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh, said combining climate resilience with livelihood enhancement was important to reduce the negative impacts of climate variability and increase community resilience.
The project has an estimated cost of $112 million, including $70 million in IFAD financing, $31.75 million from the Bangladesh government and $10 million in grant financing from Denmark.
“Climate resilience is about whether people can continue to earn a living and reach essential services when conditions become more difficult,” said Dr Valantine Achancho, IFAD country director and representative in Bangladesh.
He said the project would invest in the connections, information and skills needed by rural communities to prepare for climate shocks and sustain their livelihoods.
The project is also expected to create new employment and enterprise opportunities for young people and poor women, helping rural families build more secure incomes and recover faster from climate shocks.