Proposal Development DIPECHO, German Red Cross (Bangladesh)

The Southern part of Bangladesh is grappling with recurring natural disasters, such as cyclones, floods and tidal surges that are expected to intensify with climate change in the future. The majority of the population in this area lives in utmost poverty. Communities lack knowledge and capacities to effectively prepare for disasters and thus repeatedly lose their lives, assets and livelihoods. Although the national government endorsed a legal Disaster Management (DM) framework, implementing capacities on sub-national and local level remain weak and don’t reach the country’s poorest people.

Building on established models from previous ECHO projects, German Red Cross (GRC) aims to strengthen the national DM framework through strong advocacy and technical support: Local government institutions will be capacitated to implement effective preparedness and response activities on upazila, union and ward level, while DRR/DP structures in the communities will be strengthened through various activities, such as the establishment of volunteer teams, risk assessments, contingency plans and awareness campaigns. Schools will be particularly considered in this regard, since children are known to be excellent multipliers of knowledge.
Repeated loss of livestock, crops and assets undermine peoples’ chances for sustainable development, and increase their debts and dependence on risky income generating activities. This project will therefore support households in their efforts to generate livelihood practices that are disaster resilient and climate smart.

All DRR/DP structures and stakeholders will be closely connected with each other through strong networks and advocacy for effective institutionalization of the DRR/DP models. BDRCS, as GRC’s local partner, will support the implementation of activities through its established relations with local government authorities, its volunteer structure and strong training department.