Project Summary

The mangrove forests of the tropical coasts are among the most important and productive ecosystems on the earth. The Sundarbans is the single largest Mangrove forest of the world which is the lifeline of approximately 3.5 millions of coastal people in Bangladesh. The Sundarbans coastal region is the frontline of global climate change due to its geographic location. People here frequently suffer from different natural disasters like tropical cyclones, flood, erratic rainfall, salinity intrusion, riverbank erosion etc. Most of the coastal people are dependent on the forest resources like honey, fish, crab, nipa palm as well as on agriculture. Average monthly income of the maximum coastal people is from 3000 to 7000 BDT ($ 40 to $100). Rapid population growth, lack of alternative income generating activities and high price of daily necessary commodities are the reason why overharvesting of the mangrove resources are increasing day by day. Beside this, local communities are being deprived of faire price of their resources as the markets are in the grips of middlemen and different companies. Moreover, local communities are failed to get their desired price due to lack of their capacity to use their natural resources in a sustainable way. As a result, socio economic conditions of these poor communities are not changing by any means.

Overall goal of the project is to improve the livelihood of the poor coastal people by promoting the primary sector (fisheries, forestry and agriculture) i.e to implement the sixth sector industrialization in the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh. Through this initiative we are developing the capacity of the poor resource harvesters and producers for utilizing their natural resources in order to make products, process, package and ensure marketing so that development of primary sector can be ensured. Thus we will develop and promote the primary sector towards the social inclusion. We will also establish the linkage among primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. So, the Multi Stakeholders will be engaged to reduce the poverty of the resources harvester and mangrove ecosystem conservation. This project is very much focused on sustainable use of mangrove resources; improving the capacity of locals and provide them infrastructural support to improve their economic condition. As a result, socio economic condition of the Sundarbans coastal people will be improved, overharvesting of the natural resources will be reduced.. This project will also assist to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Bangladesh Governments Vision 2021.       

Project overview

Duration February 2020 to February 2021 (Approved) February 2020 to February 2023 (Proposed)
Project Location Sundarbans coastal region i.e Banishanta Union under Dacope sub-district of Khulna in Bangladesh
Theme Livelihood and Mangrove Ecosystem
Partner/Collaborators Japan Environmental Education Forum (JEEF)
Donor Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA)
SDGs