Strengthening the Capacity of Those Displaced by Disaster and Climate- Related Causes in Bangladesh

This Lives in Dignity Grant Facility-funded climate-induced displacement capacity building project (July 2022 - September 2024) in Bangladesh, implemented by Educo International and Uttaran, addressed the complex challenges facing communities in South West Bangladesh who experience significant climate change impacts including rising sea levels, flooding, increasing soil salinity, falling land productivity, and cyclones that drive both temporary and permanent displacement, creating vulnerable populations in rural coastal areas and urban slum settlements. The initiative pioneered an innovative integrated approach that simultaneously addressed climate-induced displacement at both origin areas (rural Satkhira) and destination locations (urban Shyamnagar), supporting climate-vulnerable populations at risk of displacement as well as those already displaced in urban settings by providing knowledge, skills, financing, and support to access essential services while preparing communities to cope with climate change impacts. Key achievements included equipping over 7,000 people with income-generating skills, creating a comprehensive database identifying 10,133 displaced households (including 8,501 displaced due to climate-related reasons), providing the first detailed information on displaced populations for evidence-based interventions, improving access to basic services in both origin and destination areas, reducing water-borne diseases through water and sanitation interventions, and connecting community groups with local authorities to facilitate direct advocacy that resulted in concrete mitigation works using supplies from authorities and community labor. The project's strength lay in demonstrating that NGOs can effectively function as catalytic agents where authorities show goodwill but lack resources, successfully connecting people with existing service systems while enhancing climate adaptation strategies and establishing formalized structures to ensure continuation beyond the project timeframe.