VSO Bangladesh: Climate Change Community Adaptation Acknowledgments This results of VSO’s programs on this poster was made possible with help of VSO’s international volunteers: Evelyne Ekisa (Kenya), Ramon Martinez (Philippines), Elvira Maria Duka (Philippines), Collins Mugumya (Uganda), Lule Peter Lajul (Uganda), Puff Ray Mukwaya (Uganda), Fyrn Sadava (Philippines), Carolien Pronk (The Netherlands). More information: Address: VSO Bangladesh, House 2/7, Block C, Lalmatia, Dhaka Phone: (0088) Mohammed Rashid (PD VSO) Rumana Begum (PD VSO) Lule Peter Lajul (Advisor on Climate Change and Alternative Livelihood) Carolien Pronk (Health Rights Advisor) I.Challenge The rural communities in Bangladesh mainly rely on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods, supplemented with other sources of income. The food that is produced offers the basic nutritional needs and income for the family. However, due to climate change people’s livelihoods are threatened. In the North people are confronted with severe droughts, while in the South people are facing salinity, causing in both areas crop failures. In order to survive, Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO) Bangladesh supported the most poor and vulnerable people with the development of alternative livelihoods. International volunteers together with the national volunteers and people’s organizations, play a key role in sharing knowledge and skills from which local communities benefit. IV. Results VSO Bangladesh has shared the following alternative income sources as a pilot project in different regions of Bangladesh. As the map above shows, 10 partner organization were involved to implement small and bigger income generating activities with help of international and national volunteers. The next figure shows the number of households reached with other interventions: Figure 2. Organic compost from cow dung Figure 1. Cooking on biogas based on cow dung Figure 3. Map of Bangladesh showing where VSO Bangladesh and partner organizations work together with international and national volunteers on alternative livelihoods projects Figure 4. Number of households (HH) reached by alternative livelihood interventions IV.Discussion Using simple methods to multiply the (financial or natural) sources of income turned out to be successful and sustainable forms of development in rural communities. These interventions means a second or even third source of income for the households. They strengthen the sources for food, economic capabilities as well as adapt to challenges of climate change. This also corresponds with the first pillar of the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan Most often, local knowledge and local materials were shared among poor and vulnerable people, therefore consistent with the local needs and opportunities. International and national volunteers played a key role to share knowledge and support people to develop their capacities. Specifically local youth volunteers got chances to develop their talents. Not only the partner organizations and local volunteers profit from the projects, but also their families and the communities of which they are part of. VSO Bangladesh advocates to use the good practices and other learning from local level up to national level through the Ministry of Disaster Management and Climate Change and the Ministry of Agriculture. Figure 5. Supporting the establishment of dairy cooperatives III.Methodology VSO Bangladesh included the following stakeholders in each of the activities: local partner organisations, local volunteers and people in the communities.  The sharing of technical skills of international volunteers, local volunteers and communities among each other  The involvement of local service providers and government officers to strengthen the governmental institutional linkages  Peer to peer learning  Sharing good practices and learning from others through the Horizontal Learning Platform (HLP)  Action research  Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) Shamnagar: selective goat and duck rearing Ramnagar: goat rearing, compost fertilizer Chitalmari: integrated fish farming, goat rearing, dairy cooperative Rangpur: 1. Chicken & goat rearing, fruit trees, compost fertilizer 2. Dairy cooperative, Napier grass, compost fertilizer Dinajpur: 1. drought tolerant rice 2. goat and chicken rearing Mongla: chicken& duck rearing Securing livelihoods through Model Village Approach IV.Recommendations  Ensure the usage of local materials  Adopting existing locally developed technologies  Include CBO’s to reach many community people, like groups of active citizens, youth and/or senior volunteers, farmer groups  Collaborating with local government officials and other service providers (where possible) to strengthen the local institutional linkages Bogra: Biogas plant II. Activities In order to adapt to the challenges that are caused by climate change, the following activities were introduced:  Using farm and animal waste to make compost fertilizer  Promoting dairy cooperatives  Integrating Napier grass (drought tolerant) and dairy  Promoting the use of biogas plants  Combining goat rearing with fruit and vegetable cultivation in dry areas  Duck, goat and chicken rearing in saline areas for commercial aims  Integrating duck and crab rearing  Adapting to drought tolerant rice and/or saline tolerant rice  Shrimp farming in ponds affected with salinity  Adapting handicraft production using local materials Rampal: 1. Saline tolerant rice 2. Goat and crab rearing