1.     Background: Climate change is one of the biggest challenges for humanity today. Although Bangladesh's contribution to global warming is the lowest (only 0.3%)[i], Bangladesh ranks third among the countries most affected by the disaster. Between 1991 and 2020, Bangladesh faced 197[ii] major catastrophes due to climate change, which has created other crises including livelihood, resources, food, water and shelter for the people of this country. This crisis is more evident in the south-west coastal region. As a result of repeated cyclones, embankment breaches, tidal surges, people in the south-west coast are losing their livelihoods and taking refuge elsewhere. The economic crisis is engulfing the people of the south-west coast, including the food crisis, drinking water crisis, declining livelihoods, risks, malnutrition, and increasing disease. Climate change is facing various crises in the south-west coast of Bangladesh. If we do not find a way out of this crisis, the south-western coastal region of Bangladesh will become depopulated in the near future. Shyamnagar, Assasuni upazila of Satkhira district and Koyra Upazila of Khulna District in the south-west coastal region is a most disaster-prone area. As the closest area to the coast, the amount of salinity in the area is increasing every year due to the tidal surge and high tide pressure created by Sea Level Rise (SLR). Coastal saltwater shrimp farming, tidal surges and high tide pressures make more saline of the surface freshwater reservoirs. In another way, Salinity generally increases due to the increment temperature and irregular rainfall. The main problem of the climate change effect of this area of people are increased Global warming, rising the sea level, irregular rainfall, health problem, Agricultural production is disrupted due to the spread of salinity (Employment declines, food crisis escalates), internal migration increasing for river bank erosion, reducing bio diversity, increasing the disaster. The natural disasters have been increased 10 times in between 2000 to 2020 than the 1955-75[iii]. About 75% of all major disasters in Bangladesh in the last 15 years have hit the southwest coast. People across Khulna division are deprived of safe water. The sea level will increase to 30-100 cm by 2100.[iv] About 834 sq km of the south-west coast will be submerged. As a result, 10 million people will become homeless.

Due to its location in a tropical region, strong disasters are creating and the disaster caused here is moving towards our country like Bangladesh. From January 8, 2008 to November 10, 2009, there were 6 cyclones and 106 mild lows and lows in the sea of bay of bangle.[v] Bangladesh is disaster prone country due to having special geographical location, newly formed low delta basin, continue flood, draughts it is a Delta area less than 10 meters above from sea level, extreme population density and high level of poverty, a large part of the manpower is dependent on agriculture here.

The southwest coastal zone is the hotspot[vi] of the climate change in Bangladesh here peoples are living on river and water resources. In the last 10 years, an average of $20,000 per family has been lost in the Satkhira area due to adverse weather conditions. In the last 35 years, salinity in the coastal region has increased by 26%[vii] and the amount has increased from 2 ppt (Parts Per Thousands) to 7 ppt. Due to salinity in the southern part of Bangladesh, the production of agricultural crops is declining alarmingly. (Satkhira 3.45%)[viii]. Agriculture has seriously threatened livelihoods and the environment. Increase in salinity. The rate of the hypertension and pre-eclampsia and hypertension of pregnant mothers in this region has been increased by 6.8%, while the salinity increased in every February to 39.5%.[ix]

The Sundarban is contributing in many ways to the country’s economy. Directly and indirectly, the financial contribution of 22 types of services comes from the Sundarbans which is Tk. 5,870 crores per annum. About 3.5 million people depend on the Sundarbans for their livelihood. Due to the Sundarbans, assets worth Tk 3,881 crore are saved during cyclones or tidal surges. According to a study by the Forest Department, the Sundarbans holds 160 million metric tons of carbon a year. According to the international carbon market, its value is five to six billion dollars.

The southwest costal area has been contributing to the country’s economy in many ways such as According to the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), shrimp, crab and kunchia fish exports account for 86 percent of total export earnings. In the July-January period of 2016-17 financial years, the income from the export of frozen and live fish has been around Tk 2,614 crore. Of this, the income from shrimp export alone has been around Tk 2,260 crore, which is 86.46 percent of the total fish export income. In 2019, the amount of foreign exchange income through crabs is around Tk 700 crore. The major income of those export revenue comes from the south-west coastal districts.

The disaster loses of this area is significant however, BDT 1100 crore losses was happened from Amphan, consequently 18 people died from Bulbul, about 537 crore losses happened from Fani, 270 billion dollar loses created from Aila and 2.3 billion dollar losses happened from Sidr. Infrastructural or disaster preparedness in the southwest coastal area is very poor. The connecting roads to the shelters are not strong enough. When it rains, communication is cut off. Due to the weakness it 5700 km of Embankment among total 17,000 km. the salt water intrusion and infiltrates increase. As many as 5.6% (approximately) of the total population can take shelter in the number of cyclone shelters in this area. The Sundarbans protects the coastal people as a primary shield, is not as strong as it used to be due to mismanagement. The coastal people are not able to cope with the disaster due to having economically weak.

In last decades, Government made a lot of commitments, people become expectant, but no major reconstruction work implemented in field. Every year people are facing devastated disaster, losing lots of their assets, but people are so much frustrated due to inaction of state for the southwestern coast. Though some money has been allocated to the coastal people, but most of the money not being used properly. One of the major causes of inaction of the state is inoperative of policy makers and policy actors of southwestern coastal zone.

2.     Rational of the initiative:  A massive movement has been created in the ground level in last several years. People of southwest wants to see state action to get rid of miserable life instead of any relief or assistance through they need to survive after disaster. Coastal people want their life and livelihood security. In these circumstances, CSOs and NGOs stand with the people are strengthen the people’s movement. Since last year, there are many demonstrations, rally, human chain, press conference, dialogues organized by Civil Society Organization, Advocacy Forum, NGOS and individual in local to national level. District wise movements have been conducted such as Satkhira 27, Khulna 10, Bagerhat 2, and Dhaka 4. The most of the movements conducted by the LEDARS, its civil society alliance and other CSOs. Some Ministers, State Ministers, Members of Parliament (MP) attended those events, but no significant money has been allocated in this year (2021-2022) budget. After budget declaration, people of coastal area fall in huge tension and become afraid to live here, in this inhuman condition created cyclone Amphan (2020) and cyclone Yaas (2021). People of this area are in deep anxiety and not getting hope to leave here. The amount of national budget is increasing year by year, Bangladesh becoming a middle-income country, our economic growth is remarkable; but people of southwest deprived since last two decades. As the ground level movement is very strong and some policy actors expressed their solidarity with our campaign and demands, it is the proper time to create pressure to the Government to do proper planning for betterment of southwestern coastal zone. LEDARS and likeminded CSOs are going to create a wider campaign in national level targeting the National Budget 2022-2023.

3.     Overall objective: To ensure life and livelihood security for the people of the southwestern coastal Bangladesh.

4.     Specific Objectives:

a)     To mobilize the policy makers and actors to support the movement and fulfilling the demand the people

b)     To create a national level platform to the support of the campaign

c)       To strengthen the ground level CSO movement

5.     Activities and methodologies:

5.1 Formation a Coastal Caucus:

The initiative will mobilize all Members of Parliament (MPs) of Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat district. We are expecting to create a Coastal Caucus with the MPs of Southwest coastal district. The caucus will sit together, discuss and take action to remove coastal vulnerabilities.  

A. Formation of National Forum: (MP, civil society)

B. Quarterly Coordination Meeting:

5.2 Documentation the ground reality:

The initiatives will make strong evidence and document what can support to the campaign. We will make video documentary, briefings papers, newsletter, leaflets and poster to farther the campaign.

A.     Documentation of loss and damage

B.     Development of short video

5.3 Formation and activation of national level strategic alliance:

As the ground level movement is going on, this initiative will form a national level strategic alliance with likeminded CSOs and NGOs. The alliance will review the policy papers and laws, make draft position papers and expected solution through community consultation, submit papers to different ministries, organize demonstration in national level, mobilize different ministries, and will try to reach honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh to fulfill the basic demand of coastal people.

5.4 Mobilization of National Level Civil Society:

Despite national level strategic alliance, the initiative will mobilize the influential civil society in Dhaka who have good relation with Government and present ruling party. We will engage at least 15 top most influential civil society to the campaign. The CSO will visit the southwest Bangladesh, organize press conference, make civil society statement in national dailies, mobilize celebrities to act for the sufferer people, persuasion with different ministers and will try to reach honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

5.5 Strengthen the grassroots movement:

The initiative also provide support to the other CSOs who are leading the movement in different district, sub-district and community level.

6.     Expected Outcome:

·       A vibrant civil society unity form and action on the issue in national level,

·       A likeminded CSO and NGO platform formed and active in national level

·       A wider movement created from grassroots to national level

·       Strong evidence and document developed and used to faster the campaign

·       A pressure group form, active and created pressure to state to take action for the people of southwest coastal region of Bangladesh