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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Dates

2012 - Present

Type of practice

Project/Programme

Geographic scope

Local:

Gaibhanda and Kurigram district in Bangladesh

Summary

As a densely settled low land country, Bangladesh is well known for its vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Floods caused by an onrush of upstream water and seasonal monsoon rains have also submerged huge cropland of more than 100 villages in the affected areas. Floods in Bangladesh during the monsoon season are common due to heavy rain and upstream water from neighboring India. Both countries share 54 common rivers that originate from the Himalayan mountains. Meanwhile, several thousand residents in northern districts have reportedly taken shelter in high places and different government settlements as their homes have been submerged. As a result, migration going on in Bangladesh, also the riverbank community’s people face a stark choice, change their way or seek employment and home elsewhere.

In this context, Friendship was experienced and found out in the past on migration due to annual flooding, or riverbank erosion, which affects the environment long term which makes it harder to grow crops because the land is permanently altered by the saline water. Before people could go to work in the city for a few months when the land flooded and return when the flood had retreated. Now that is no longer possible and people realised it is not viable to stay. People are now migrating for better opportunities in cities attracting workers or in the case of climate change, they are moving because changes in the environment are making it hard to make its end, So adapting and migrating are not unusual demands. people in Bangladesh are on a good path of economic growth at the moment, but the volatile climate makes it hard to predict whether this growth will continue. Since 2014 Friendship is implementing a few specific projects on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) with the support of the Luxembourg Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Action through Friendship Luxemburg.

This initiative aims to reduce the vulnerability of hard-to-reach people in the event of Natural disasters. Those projects have been implemented in 53 communities in 9 sub-districts of Gaibandha and Kurigram districts. Friendship is trying to build resilience to reduce the vulnerability of communities and to find out an alternative solution to stop frequent migration here and there, Friendship developed a model as a piloting basis by the supports of different levels of experts and established a raised cluster village, known as a plinth To do this, it has implemented a village, known as a plinth, built on an oval-shaped mound above the flood level. In addition, le plinth content comprehensive WASH facilities, school, sheds for livestock and enough accommodations for 18 – 35 households, of 6 people per household on average at any given time, one community center, 5-7 Tube wells, 5-7 shared sanitary latrines and solar street light. During the floods, 80+ to 150+ families can take shelter on the plinths for anything from 3 – 4 days, to 3 – 4 weeks, depending on flood level.

Organizations

Main Implementing Organization(s)

Friendship NGO

Partner/Donor Organizations

Friendship Luxemburg , ERIKS

Benefit and Impact

Despite the grim outlook for Bangladesh's climate vulnerability and the millions of people who will be displaced because of climate change's effects, it is critical to emphasize that rights-based and nature-based solutions are not only necessary but also very possible and that early-stage successes have already been achieved through the Plinth ( Local Led Adaptation and solutions ).

The majority of Bangladesh's internally displaced people have decided to stay in their communities rather than travel to other parts of the country. Therefore, it is Friendship's responsibility to protect and ensure the rights of displaced people to the greatest extent feasible. Solutions must be focused inside the community, based on the government's commitment to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of those who have been displaced. The friendship now serves as an example of the success of planned migration and relocation plans. The communities where the plinths were established have now found safety from climate hazards suitable livelihood opportunities and access to education facilities and health care. More so, the success of this establishment was dictated by the personal circumstances of those communities.

It is also ensured that sustainable and planned migration from exposed and climate-vulnerable zones has taken into account the possibility for livelihood prospects in plinth locations, as well as the availability and security of land and homes. The plinths project improved the living standards of not just the families, but also of all the people in the surrounding areas. They benefited from educational opportunities as well as the security provided by the law booths located on the plinth.

Individuals and communities at Government resettlement and relocation sites must be protected from forceful eviction and transferred to locations where the people being resettled and the host communities can trust one another. This project is ongoing with the concerted efforts of these and other stakeholders to provide protection and dignity to displaced individuals while upholding their human rights. It is apparent that a series of coordinated actions, backed by adequate resources, may go a long way toward resolving climate displacement issues.

Each plinth features a school, allowing children to continue their studies even if the area is flooded. In addition, the schools are solar-powered, and solar panels are installed in the homes so that students can study at night while still having access to electricity. The plinths are designed to be child-friendly, with the central fresh-water pond being walled to prevent children from falling in. Stoves are also intended to be out of reach of children.

Key Lessons

Despite the relevance of land acquisition and set-aside initiatives as a possible solution to climate displacement, To date, the results of these efforts have been largely negative. For example, what could have been a relatively simple land purchase and property allocation process for Carteret Islanders has turned into a protracted and complicated process, with land acquisition serving as the principal impediment to long-term solutions.
Furthermore, because the plinths projects are intrinsically difficult, it is often more sustainable and desirable to urge people to remain in their place of origin than being shifted to the plinths.

The projects required immediate action to locate available land and other suitable resources for the construction of the plinths. Besides regional communities may be able to help by giving technical assistance and experience in developing an effective procedure to identify land holdings that could be suitable for the restoration of climate displaced people within the community.

The project requires proper soil and land in order to construct the plinths; therefore, the project must conduct study, exploration, and examination in order to identify the best soil that can be used to construct the plinths.

The project's long-term viability is a major challenge. It has to be able to withstand rain and flooding. As a result, not only is the shape of the architecture taken into account, but also the landscape, which includes the planting of trees and a pond in the middle. The pond in the center of the project is filled with rainwater during the rainy season, but it is dry during the other seasons and is not used, which is why the project needs to focus more on how to irrigate it all year.

Recommendations(if the practice is to be replicated)

The following recommendations have been identified for priority implementation:

1. It is essential to involve encouraging enhanced communication and coordination between relevant Government departments, affected communities, and civil society on climate Migration issues.
2. Develop A Rights-Based National Plan to Resolve Climate Migration: Human rights law provides an important framework for the development of a national plan to resolve climate displacement. Under human rights law, the Government must provide effective protection to the most vulnerable individuals and communities across Bangladesh.
3. Extend a helping hand in establishing research on the plinths project, which might serve as a permanent structure for a large number of individuals going around Bangladesh. Otherwise, the local community will stay impoverished and vulnerable due to the lack of employment prospects for these displaced people.The plinth provides a permanent structure for many people who move around Bangladesh. However, if this is not accompanied by economic opportunities, the local population will remain poor. This initiative is part of economic but also cultural and social development. By building schools for children, providing assistance and training, providing economic opportunities, providing solar support, , offering capacity building and promoting easier access to the market, it is a way out of poverty.

Innovation

The project is innovative as it is part of a solution for the local population, created in collaboration with them. It emphasizes collective action and cultural awareness.
The design of an egg has been thought out by researchers and experts to divert the water on both sides. It is important to study the water flow beforehand and to orient the egg towards the flow. The oval shape and reinforced front end of the plinths have proven to be effective in preventing damage caused by floodwater runoff and are therefore a more durable and long-term solution than the much weaker traditional plinths used by local people. In addition, the height of the plinth is more than 3.5 meters above potential flooding, so the area is not submerged by water.
In the event of an emergency, the plinths are fully stocked and ready to support the population, as well as those living around the plinth.
In addition, it is a unique solution for and by the community in order to be safe face the flood. It helps the internally displaced people in the sense that it provides a permanent place for families. Furthermore, the plinth is part of a nature-based approach that does not degrade the environment and uses local technologies for its construction and operation.

Additional Resources

Friendship’s plinth as a durable and sustainable solution

Climate adaptation (Website)

Media

Ground zero to Climate Adaptation: Local climate fighters in Bangladesh bringing Global Solutions

Additional Images

Date submitted:

02 February 2022

Disclaimer: The content of this practice reflects the views of the implementers and does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations, the United Nations Network on Migration, and its members.