Community Empowerment Project (CEP) is building resilience in the coastal areas of Bangladesh

Bangladesh experiences frequent natural disasters, which cause loss of life, damage to infrastructure and economic assets, and adversely impact lives and livelihoods, especially of poor people living in remote or ecologically fragile parts of the country, such as river islands and cyclone-prone coastal belts.

Dacope is one of the most vulnerable areas of Bangladesh which is located at the coastal lines of the south-western part of the country. The high salinity of water impedes the agrarian system a lot. Vulnerability to disaster, cyclonic storms, and floods are very devastating and cause immense suffering and damage to people and the environment.

With an aim to building resilience and empower the underprivileged community people in Dacope Upazila of Khulna district, ADRA in Bangladesh is steering Community Empowerment Project (CEP) – Daocpe, Khulna. CEP project is assisting people in terms of Climate change and emergency management. ADRA Bangladesh has been assisting the vulnerable community for more than 8 years. The emergency management cycle involves all aspects of disaster preparedness, response, recovery, rehabilitation, and mitigation.

Raising awareness is the first step projects take in the community on area-specific environmental or disaster issues. Committees are formed and trained on mitigation and response to disasters. Where effective, trees are planted and saplings distributed for planting. Trees protect streets and highlands from erosion. Building protective infrastructures, raising roads and markets are practical solutions to flood-hit lowlands in disaster-prone areas. The infrastructure is then handed over to the community to ensure ownership status and encourage proper maintenance.

CEP-Dacope, Khulna also emphasizes on health & hygiene intending to ensure a healthy life for the community people in the rural areas of Bangladesh. Awareness-raising on WASH through health sessions are a regular project activity. Through groups, the (WASH) promotion lessons are shared among the community people. CEP-Dacope, Khulna organizes training on health and hygiene so the vulnerable community can protect themselves from general diseases.