The Gopalganj and Madaripur districts of Bangladesh’s rural people will benefit from a $71 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to enhance flood control, irrigation, and water resource management, thereby enhancing their readiness and resilience against the consequences of climate change.
“The ADB additional support will further boost economic growth and productivity, increase incomes and sustainable livelihoods, especially for women and vulnerable groups, and reduce poverty in rural areas of southwest Bangladesh,” an official release quoted ADB Senior Project Management Specialist Pushkar Srivastav as saying.
According to the statement, the financial award project will lower saline intrusion, implement climate-resilient flood control, drainage, and irrigation (FCDI) strategies, and benefit over 600,000 people.
As the project develops and enhances integrated water management plans, builds training centers for water management organizations, and builds other community infrastructure, it will use nature-based solutions to reinforce FCDI infrastructure and improve drainage in four subbasins.
The project will maintain the improvements made to community infrastructure, agricultural productivity, and rural household incomes under the ADB-financed Southwest Area Integrated Water Resources Planning and Management Project, according to Pushkar.
Bangladesh is ranked eighth in terms of vulnerability to climate risk according to the Global Climate Risk Index. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and slow-onset climate phenomena are on the rise in Bangladesh.
According to a press release, the country may lose roughly 30% of its agricultural GDP by 2050 as a result of climate variability and extreme weather that affects rural communities, particularly women who depend on climate-sensitive agricultural practices and natural resources for their livelihoods.
Participatory water resource management will be encouraged by the ADB funding initiative in order to guarantee sustainability and encourage local ownership.
It will assist the formation of joint management committees and enhance the ability of water management groups to plan, build, operate, and maintain the facilities.
In four subproject regions, support will be provided to develop water management groups with a focus on female membership.
The project will also build the capacity of the Bangladesh Water Development Board to improve coordination of government agencies concerned with water resources management, supervise the activities of water management organizations, and integrate climate adaptation in its operations.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
