Dhaka – People in char areas in five unions of Jamal[ur district are being motivated to adapt with climate change.
Due to climate change vulnerability in the char areas have already increased to a great extent and the char people have also started to feel its impact. As a result, char people have to face common hazardous situation during flood, river erosion, drought and cold wave, according to a report published by BSS news agency.
With the aim of making people resilient in the community of the char areas a project has been taken to motivate the char people, especially women in 26 villages under five unions in two upazilas of the district.
The project named ‘REE-CALL” (Resilience through Economy Empowerment Climate Adaptation Leadership and Learning) with the financial assistance of Oxfam is being implemented in Nilaxmia, Sadhurpara and Merur char unions in Bakshiganj upazila and Chikajani and Hativanga unions in Dewanganj upazila of the district by Ganochetona a non-government organisation.
According to the office sources, 40 Community Based Organizations (CBO) have been formed with 25 members each of which 70 percent are women. They were imparted training on various aspects like alternative livelihoods, Gender and leadership, raising homestead and climate change.
The members of CBOs are playing vital role for building resilience community at the char areas. They are using indigenous and scientific knowledge and enhancing own capacity to adapt with the climate change and reduce disaster risk.
On the other hand members of CBO, especially women are being moved to small business, groceries, cow rearing, agriculture farming, bamboo and cotton based work, mobile business, tailoring and food business to increase their income. In the adverse effects of climate change they are now cultivating high yielding crops to make the community more adaptive.
A CBO member Sabira, wife of Altaf Hossain at village Kushalnagar in Bakshiganj upazila said “with the assistance of the NGO I have been running a business for one year. She said I collect 70 to 80 liters of milk from our members who rear cows, daily and sell those in markets. In this way she earns Tk 500 to 600 daily.”
Fuler Rani, wife of Yasin at village Sajimara in Bakshiganj upazila said, “I have been running a sweat meat shop and earn Tk 300 to 350 per day from the shop.” Chairman, Hativanga Union Parishad, Md Abu Hanif said after starting the REE-CALL project in the area the live style of char people has gradually improved.
With the improvement of leadership and economic condition, empowerment of the women is also increasing, he said.
Besides, violence against women is also decreasing day by day, he added.
Md Mamtaj Uddin, Chairman, Chikajani Union Parishad, said earlier char people were not aware of the development works of the government being implemented by the union parishad. But after being motivated, they told me about various development works in their areas, he added.
Project Coordinator, REE-CALL, Shamol Roy said, the work of the project began in the two upazilas in 2010. He said under the project a good number of homesteads and flood shelters were constructed in char areas by NGO, Union Parishad and own initiative.
