Income of people in the country’s nine coastal and hilly areas has increased after launching a project funded by the World Bank nearly two and a half years ago.
The project titled Climate Resilient Participatory Afforestation and Reforestation is being implemented in Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Lakshimipur, Barisal, Pakuakhali, Barguna, Bhola and Feni.
The World Bank is supporting Bangladesh Forest Department to reduce forest degradation and increase forest coverage in a participatory way in above nine coastal and hilly districts.
As a start-up activity for the poor and the extremely poor forest-depended groups (FDGs), the project has distributed in the last three seasons a total of 3.5 tons of 16 varieties of vegetable seeds, and 36,000 saplings of 5 varieties of quick growing fruit trees, said the World Bank in a statement.
“These have helped almost all the FDG households not only to increase their consumption of vegetables, but also earn cash-income within a short period of time by selling surplus production.”
At least 30% income increase occurred in 19% of households; another 35% households’ income increased more than 20%, but less than 30%; another 34% households’ income increased more than 10%, but less than 20%, according to the World Bank.
The project has helped establish 55 mutual rotating savings and loan funds and already provided BDT 4.46 crore loans to extremely poor beneficiaries. The communities manage this fund and are responsible for loan realization.
The project has already completed 13,144 ha block plantation out of the targeted 17,000 ha. The project has also completed 1,505 km strip plantation. Almost 90% seedlings survived and the trees are growing healthily.
The project is promoting resilience of the forest ecosystems through afforestation, reforestation and restoration of different species. The site survey and planning along with advanced nursery preparation was matched with micro-site conditions (soils, water table, slope and aspect) to select species and their spatial distribution on the landscape.
The Bangladesh Climate Change Resilient Fund has allocated US$33.8m to implement the project to be completed by next year.
The project’s participatory approach helped the local community meet climate change challenges and reduce vulnerability. The project helped the forest dependent population with alternative income generating activities. It has benefitted over 45,000 extreme poor households through alternative livelihood programs, participation in the social forestry program or employment as labors in nurseries.
The project provided skills training on various trades to 6,000 FDG members as per their choice for alternative income generation activities. Additionally, 565 group leaders have received training on organizational and leadership development and financial management, including around 400 females and 35 people from ethnic population.
