Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change through Coastal Afforestation (CBACC-CF) Project - Bangladesh

This project is helping to secure sustainability through adaptation and mitigation measures. It is being implemented in vulnerable coastal areas in Bangladesh where the intensity of weather events exacerbated by climate change is very high. This project has established mangrove plantations which act as shelters, protecting exposed coastal areas experiencing severe cyclones and tidal surges. To enrich and sustain coastal vegetation, the project introduced 10 commercially imported mangrove species to the area.

Fast facts:

The project has established 9,650 hectares of mangrove plantation that absorbs more than 965,000 tonnes of carbon annually;
The CBACC-CF project is the first project in Bangladesh where landless people and marginalized groups of society are able to access government lands through a benefit sharing model.

The problem

Bangladesh is surrounded by vulnerable coastal areas where the intensity of weather events exacerbated by climate change is very high. These weather events often strip people of their livelihoods.

The solution

This project is working on livelihood diversification through sustainable income generation from co-management of natural resources and increasing human security through the natural protection that mangroves provide to vulnerable communities. Communities are involved in livelihood activities and income generating and long-term land ownership opportunities for landless and female beneficiaries. The project developed different models to explore new options for resource and income generation by integrating forestry, agriculture, fisheries and livestock threatened by climatic events. The models provide solutions to poverty and vulnerability reduction leading to livelihood sustainability and enhancing resilience. Land rights in the model have empowered communities to occupy valuable resources, participate in local decision making processes and claim relevant services from government departments.

Helping the planet

Mangroves are considered one of the most carbon rich forests among all the major forest domains of the world. The average carbon sink capacity of mangrove species (97.6 ton/hectare) is more than three times higher than that of mainland species (29.5 ton/hectare).

Helping people

Vulnerable communities, especially landless and marginal groups, are the beneficiaries of the project. The project also facilitated women’s participation in activities outside the home and increased their mobility. As a result, 42% of coastal women are now playing an active role in the decision making process. The formation of societies strengthened the project beneficiaries both socially and economically. They are now actively participating in development planning.

Scaling Up

This project aims to scale up in nine more coastal sites of Bangladesh. In the meantime, CBACC-CF project has received USD 2.17 million as additional funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation for up-scaling the project activities in four new sites. The project introduced a number of innovative adaptation interventions in the salinity dominated coastal Bangladesh which got both national and international resonance. The Government of Bangladesh is repeatedly addressing these issues in different forums and has expressed their opinion for scaling up throughout coastal areas of Bangladesh.