Paramesh Nandy

1. Sharing Experience of Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change through Coastal Afforestation Practices in Bangladesh Paramesh Nandy

2. Coastal areas are highly vulnerable to climate change induced extreme events than any other parts of Bangladesh Major livelihoods are agricultural cultivation and fishing, highly sensitive to climatic shocks Almost 50% people lack supporting livelihoods

3. Project Strategy • Enhancing resilience of communities and protective ecosystems through adaptation interventions- (Coastal afforestation and Livelihood diversifications) • Capacity Building- at national, sub-national and local level • Policy Development- reviewing existing policies and developing climate resilient policies • Knowledge Management- Capturing and sharing climate related knowledge within and outside Bangladesh

4. Emerging Adaptation Responses Protective Ecosystems Vulnerable Communities Lack of community access to govt. barren lands; Lack of land-use and restoration technique for salinity dominated unused barren lands; Lack of skills on CC risk reduction management and improve adaptation practices including saline tolerant cropping systems; Lack of access to public services; Lack of livelihood security • Existence of monoculture; • Inadequate number of trees/ha at maturity; • Non-existence of regeneration; • Lack of focus on integration of CC issues; • Lack of sustainability of coastal vegetation

5. Introduction of multicultural species

6. Innovative coastal land use for community adaptation in coastal areas Innovative coastal land use for community adaptation in coastal areas Restoration of barren coastal lands into community based livelihood practices

7. Livelihood diversification through Forest, Fish and Fruit (FFF) Model Production stage of seasonal vegetation Cultivating, fertilizing and nursing dyke vegetation

8. Harvesting of FFF Resources • Restored barren lands into highly productive regime; • Access to land right by distributing 1 ditch and 1 dyke to each beneficiary household; • Harvested rainwater supports fish cultivation and irrigation; • Enhanced household income at least $ 1000 USD / family / year in addition to their routine livelihood activities

9. Introducing saline tolerant crops and shifting from single to double cropping

10. , Masura Begum (35 yrs.) of Barguna, lost her little shelter by devastating Cyclone Sidr- 2007. “We spent 3-4 days without food and survived by eating green banana only”. “I got access to land and started producing different agriculture vegetables on the dyke, and fish in the ditch of the land. In the three months, I earned $150 USD by selling vegetables only after family consumption. I earned $250 USD from selling fish and eggs of duck supplied by the project”. “I do not need to buy any vegetable and fish for my family rather I am saving money from selling FFF resources so that I could pay off my debts”. “I had sufferings of food. Now accessing to this land, I have learned how to feed my family not in a day, even in the next months with this project support”

11. HasanGorami (29 yrs.) of Barguna, used to sell his labor as a fisherman on big boats during the fishing seasons to support his family, while sits idle in most of the non-fishing seasons. “Now I maintain this ditch and dyke and this helps me earn extra money. I grew different vegetables on the top of the dykes and creepers on the scaffolding and various types of fish in the ditch”. “I already earned $ 300 USD from selling fish and vegetables and expect to double this by the end of the year”.

12. Key achievements • The project enhanced the resilience of coastal ecosystem to sustain mangrove vegetation and protect adjacent communities to cope with different scenarios of CC impacts through establishing 6372 ha of coastal afforestation that will contribute to absorbing more than 600,000 tons of carbon annually; • The project improved adaptive capacity of 19,657 vulnerable coastal households through livelihood diversifications; • The project empowered coastal communities through access to lands and developed ownership sense to participate in local decision making process and claim relevant services from govt. departments; • The project showed innovative way for recurrent income generation through livelihood diversification to secure and sustain livelihoods. Finally, the project received ‘Earth Care Awards 2012’ (sponsored by The JSW-Times of India) for innovative Triple F model and providing access to govt. lands for the landless in coastal districts of Bangladesh under the project support.

13. THANK YOU