Shushilan: Innovative Approaches to Restore the Productivity of Natural Resources that are Resilient to Climate Change and Increasing Salinity

 NGO:                        Shushilan. Technical assistance provided by FHRC (Flood Hazard Research Center), Bangladesh

Project Title:                    “Adapting Natural Resource Management to Climate Change and Increasing Salinity  ” 

Project Area:             Keshabpur and Manirampur upazilas of Jessore district, Tala, Kolaroa and Shyamnagar upazilas of Satkhira district; Barguna sadar and Amtali upazilas of Barguna district.                              

 Target:                       1,000 Beneficiary Households (BHH)

 Years to Graduate:   3 years

 Budget (BDT):          Total budget 27,938,000; cost per BHH 27,938; direct delivery 13,495

 Key Aspects

• The aim of the project is to address the issue of the depletion of traditional livelihoods in the face of climate change;
• The project hopes to increase resources and sustain household incomes in ways that are resilient to climate change;
• It is improving access to unused land and water bodies for the extreme poor;
• To provide needs-based skills training and initial inputs and resources to test and develop agro-based microenterprises such as floating gardens, cultivation of rabi crops, mangrove nurseries and crab fattening;  
• BHH are integrated with existing wetland management CBOs;
• Seeks to facilitate better service linkages between BHH and local extension agents, suppliers of quality inputs and with local buyers and market outlets;
• Steps taken to increase linkages with health (mainly nutritional status) and education related services;
• Project encourages savings schemes to cope with economic shocks;
• The model will take 3 years for full graduation. While agro-enterprises will provide early returns, gaining access to water bodies and land combined with the development of skills will take some time. 

 Outputs

• Access to land and water facilitated for 1,000 extreme poor households
•  1,000 extreme poor households provided with means to take up natural resource based enterprises for economic empowerment and improvements in service linkages
• Ability of 1,000 extreme poor households enhanced to cope with external threats and hazards enhanced.
• To enable and empower the 1,000 extreme poor to build up functional relationships with communities at large for greater unity and mutual support to reduce social exclusion.

For information on other activities of Shushilan, click here