CANSA Afghanistan: Mobilising Stakeholders and Framing Climate Agenda Towards Climate Resilient and Carbon Neutral Afghanistan

Climate change has a multifarious impact on life and livelihood of people in Afghanistan. The country is in transition where development is the main focus of the government at all levels to address poverty, unemployment and other socio-economic challenges. However, climate-induced impacts set to derail development gains because of underlying vulnerabilities of the country. In order to realise the goals of development, climate change needs to be factored in all the activities of sectoral ministries and departments.

To take the climate change agenda forward, Climate Action Network South Asia Afghanistan led by Tadbeer Consultancy & Research Organisation (TCRO) and CANSA with funding support from Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and Christian Aid organised a 2-day workshop in Kabul early July.

The objectives of the workshop were:

• to mobilise diverse actors to undertake a shared climate change programme toward long-term resilience and carbon neutrality in Afghanistan
• to raise the profile of climate agenda and bring it forward in national priorities that would be crucial to integrate climate compliant actions in the ongoing development and national security agendas that effectively respond to the adverse impacts of climate change in Afghanistan
• to introduce CAN South Asia as a shared platform of civil societies in Afghanistan  

CANSA Bangldeash: Solar Geoengineering Research must prioritise the Interests of Developing Countries

On April 26, Bangladeshi CSOs expressed concern on solar geoengineering research at the VIP lounge of the National Press Club, Dhaka. Network on Climate Change, Bangladesh (NCC,B) Trust together with eight other like-minded civil society organizations BAPA, BCAS, CSRL, CCDB, CDP, CPRD, Equity BD and CANSA-BD jointly organised this event. Dr Atiq Rahman was the key speaker of this event.

SEEDS: Partners for Resilience in Bihar

In continuous efforts to making communities resilient towards floods and climate change variability, SEEDS is currently working towards bringing in an Integrated Risk Management Approach for the current ecosystems of the Saharsa district. This project aligns with the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority’s objectives and will contribute to achieving milestones of Bihar Road Map. 

The project is a part of the larger Partners for Resilience (PfR) programme, which is an alliance of the Netherlands Red Cross (lead agency), CARE Netherlands, Cordaid, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre and Wetlands International. 

Through the Partners for Resilience project, SEEDS is trying to make communities of Kosi flood basin more resilient by improving livelihood security and strengthening local ecosystems by active dialogue engagement. The interventions are being carried out in 7 Gram Panchayats - Mahisarho, Telhar, Pasatwar, Sirbar, Birbar, Arapatti, South Mahishi, Naharwar in Mahishi Block of District Saharsa and their focus includes:

1. Making resilient villages
2. Community-led early warning systems
3. Strengthening disaster management and planning aspects through school to community school safety

Prakriti Resources Centre: Interaction Programme on Climate Finance in National Budget (2018/19) of Nepal

Prakriti Resources Centre organised an interaction programme on the National Budget of Nepal. The budget had used climate change code to tag climate change the relevant budget. Of the total budget, 37% of the budget is tagged as climate change relevant.

Among sectors, energy received the largest share of climate budget followed by water supply, agriculture and fisheries. Participants raised concerns on the transparent and accountable utilisation of climate budget. Conceptual and capacity gaps on understanding climate finance are detrimental in proper utilisation of climate budget.

All India Disaster Mitigation Institute: Understanding “Uncertainty” at AMCDRR 2018

A special issue (#169) of the www.southasiadisasters.net was launched on July 05, 2018 at the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2018 in Mongolia.

The issue titled, “Understanding Uncertainty: Views from Kachchh, Mumbai, and Sundarbans” offers ways of thinking about uncertainty in a disaster risk reduction framework. Through the publication, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) has successfully enhanced knowledge and innovation for effective integration of uncertainty and DRR in India and delta, desert, and urban areas of South Asia. 

INECC: Installation of fuel-efficient woodstoves, a shift from traditional stoves to clean cooking stoves

More than 11,000 cookstoves have been built across 2 districts of East Godavari and Visakhapatnam in LAYA’s working area. As many 11,000 families/women benefit from the system where social benefits related to:

• The kitchen is relatively smoke-free
• Food cooks faster with less charring of the vessels
• Less burden of carrying wood.
• The technology facilitates faster and more efficient cooking (less usage of wood).

Development Wheel: Gender and Financial Accountability Training

Based on the successful implementation of Sustainable Livelihoods for Poor Producers in Mymensingh and Netrokona. Bangladesh (SLIPP) model from 2007 to 2012, DEW implemented several livelihoods projects in the northeast part of Bangladesh including “Alleviating Poverty in North East Bangladesh (APONE)”, “Alternative Livelihood Options (ALO)”, “Farmers Rights Programme”, Sustainable Supply Chain of Kenaf in Bangladesh” etc. These projects will ensure sustainable livelihoods for poor and marginal communities, particularly women, in northern Bangladesh through improvements to small-scale agriculture. By organising farmers and linking them to information, skills, services and markets, the project will reduce costs of production, increase productivity and improve access to resources.

This will lead to a 70% increase in income, directly benefiting 22,000 households owning less than 0.3 hectares of land and not covered by our previous projects (40% women including 30% ethnic minority) and their families during and after the project.

SAFE: Creating Land on Water: Hydroponic Aquafarming for Climate Resilient Agriculture in South Asian Floodplains

An adaptive solution for the agrarian community to mitigate flood impacts in the present climate milieu and assure sustainable livelihood and food security. Every year 38% of the land gets completely submerged and 23% partially submerged by flood waters for 7-8 months in floodplains of eastern India and nearly 77% of the agrarian land is inundated by floodwaters compelling two-third of the community to temporarily migrate.

Interestingly, more than half of the populace is marginal fisher folk or farmers and 20% are agricultural laborers. Flood resilient hydroponic farming practice owes its origin to the deltaic districts of Bangladesh, like Barisal and Khulna, wherein the float bed is huge in size and constitutes of rotten hyacinth biomass, atop which soil is loaded for family-based farming. Innovation was brought about in the design, material, size and capacity of each float, so as to place it as a livelihood unit for the indigenous farming households. Hydro-foam and sponge was used for hydroponic circulation of water and the structure was made of locally available non-timber forest products with synthetic soil. The cost of each tray was kept at INR 2500, which is comparable to the cost of a livestock unit.