United Nations Development Programme Process documentation INCREASING ADAPTIVE CAPACITIES TO ENHANCE RESILIENCE OF THE SOUTH-WEST COMMUNITIES DRAFT Process Report 15th October 2014 – 15th May 2015 United Nations Development Programme Report produced by UNDP Bangladesh Climate Change, Environment and Disaster cluster. Front cover photo: Members of the community, Jalalpur Union, 6th May 2015. 1 United Nations Development Programme 1 BACKGROUND Chronic waterlogging since the 1980s, exacerbated by recent events such as cyclone Aila and the 2011 floods, is a ‘slow onset and persistent disaster’ prevalent in the south-western districts of Bangladesh. Steadily undermining the resilience of people, dwellings, infrastructure and livelihoods in the region over time, waterlogging is also causing localized humanitarian crises as inundated areas remain waterlogged long after flooding events have occurred. Tidal River Management (TRM) is regarded as one of the most effective technical solutions to prevent waterlogging in the short to mid-term perspective. TRM allows tidal flow to flood in a designated low- lying area and over the course of time the soil rises above the water level, due to controlled riverine sedimentation process. However, despite its potentials, the current system for implementing TRM has struggled to take into account governance and the complex political-economy in the waterlogged areas. Landowners giving up land to be raised through the TRM process have been unable to access the compensation offered by the government. Likewise, the loss of livelihood opportunities for landless people who would otherwise labor on the designated TRM area has not been addressed by previous TRM interventions. As a result, TRM has met with strong resistance from the people. Through the “Increasing adaptive capacity to increase resilience of the South-West communities” project, UNDP is attempting to pilot an inclusive, participatory model for TRM implementation – a “TRM ++”. Through a combination of physical and social interventions, a) reduce the physical and livelihood risks of local inhabitants, b) enhance the capacity of local stakeholders dealing with waterlogging, c) improve social cohesion for community resilience, and, d) enhance the enabling environment for sustaining resilience initiatives. The project is designed to demonstrate a more accessible compensation mechanism for affected landowners, create alternate livelihood options for landless and marginalized farmers affected by the reservation of land for the TRM process, and raise the capacity of local actors to manage and respond to waterlogging and other disaster issues. In order to develop locally appropriate solutions in a participatory manner, project plan provided for the following process in each of the two localities Keshra Union and Jalalpur Union: 1) Baseline survey of physical and environmental, and socioeconomic, situation. 2) A participatory planning exercise to establish baselines and form cooperatives to lease the site for physical TRM for open fisheries. 3) Excavation of canal from TRM site to river and embankment strengthening work to be done by local landless people, not contractors. 4) Provision of off-firm livelihood supports and livelihood training opportunities for youth and women. 5) Engagement of local institutions in social mobilization and capacity building of Disaster Management Committees, Water Management Groups, CBOs and NGOs for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, crisis management, and water management. 2 United Nations Development Programme 2 ESTABLISHING THE BASELINE In order to identify the physical and livelihood risks of the targeted communities and establish the baseline situation in the project localities before implementation, two baseline assessments were commissioned – one physical and environmental, and one socioeconomic. In order to mobilize young people in researching and addressing the increasingly pressing issue of waterlogging, both studies were conducted by students. 2.1 PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE PROPOSED TRM++ SITES This report was conducted by students at the Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty at University of Dhaka for the UNDP in December 2014. The key findings were: Based on hydrological and siltation measurements, it was found that with no site regulation or compaction, filling up the proposed 100 620 m3 site at Jalalpur would take 245 days to raise, while the 232 050 m3 site at the Kheshra site Shaltola beel would take 377 days. However, as natural compaction will compress the sediments height-wise, the actual time period necessary for the sites to fill up will be longer. It was found that the sediments carried and deposited by the river are predominantly silt with clay, and the grain size distribution of an excellent quality for cultivation and adding nutrients. PH values and observations of crops indicate that the cultivated soil is being depleted of micronutrients and increasingly salinized. Inhabitants reported a reduction in the variety of crops they are to grow. Intrusion of salt water from downstream combines with a close-to-surface water table in the area to exacerbate accumulation of salt in top soil. Out of 21 inspected wells in the two unions, 2 wells in each union were found to contain saline water. In those settlements where water logging affects the village area, people have had to abandon traditional earthen house building practices and now live in very poorly constructed dwellings. Furthermore, it was reported that decreased agricultural productivity has led to fewer employment opportunities, and that illegal employment migration across the border to India has increased. Focus group discussions showed that local levels of knowledge about TRM vary, and that some groups advocate for focusing on the excavation of congested old canals instead of TRM interventions. 2.2 BASELINE SURVEY AND SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS This study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of students and one teacher from Khulna University in November and Desember 2014. The key findings and recommendations were: Attitudes to TRM seems to vary most according to status in relation to land. Day labourers unemployed due to waterlogging and salinization were more likely to be positive to TRM if convinced that it will combat these two issues, and even more so if TRM++ provides alternative livelihood opportunities for addresses their needs in other ways. Businessmen holding leases for 3 United Nations Development Programme ghers and using them for activities such as shrimp farming were found to be negative, and unwilling to give up use of the lands they have leased for the time period it takes for TRM to raise the land. Land owners varied in their opinions, but were identified in all the sites as key gatekeepers, who might be persuaded to support the process if the incentive to let their land be used for TRM is larger than letting it to gher businessmen. Knowledge about TRM was found to vary a lot between the different cluster villages in the area. Intensive consultation with the local community about TRM should therefore be taken to raise awareness, design appropriate solutions, and build consensus about subsequent courses of action. While the people living in the area reported high levels of social and political security and stability, governance in the area was deemed weak, with low levels of transparency and public participation in decision-making and budget processes, and high levels of corruption and nepotism. Proper implementation of inclusive TRM would therefore avoid overly bureaucratic processes, implement intensive monitoring of budget and expenditure, and ensure fair allocation of benefits. Water logging was found to have significant impact on the water and sanitation status of the people living in the area. The majority of the water pumps submerged in periods of floods or water logging, leaving people reliant on tube wells, ponds and canals. Left: Map of Keshra Union. Right: Map of Jalalpur Union. Jalalpur lies directly north of Keshra. 4 United Nations Development Programme Community meeting about TRM++ in North Shajadpur, Keshra Union, 24th January 2015. 3 SITE 1: KHESHRA UNION At the outset of the IP, Jalalpur Union and Keshra Union in Tala had both been selected for prototyping. Accordingly, baseline studies (more below) were conducted for both union. However, as it was uncovered that a GoB TRM intervention was slated to take place in Jalalpur Union independently of the IP, it was decided to only focus on the Keshra site. At Keshra, the physical interventions were slated to take place at Shaltola beel. The site had been selected in consultation with community members, landowners and the Union Parishad. Accordingly, the initial effort was spent trying to establish community consensus and approval in the local government institutions and in village closest to the Shaltola beel, North Shajadpur. Project staff met with people living in the community often to establish relationships and networks. A household survey and participatory social mapping was conducted to identify landless and marginalized farming households who should be targeted for cooperative formation, Cash for Work opportunities and livelihoods training. The vast majority of inhabitants in the closest village, North Shajadpur, expressed their support for the project during the household survey, with the poor and ultra-poor being elated at the project addressing livelihoods as well as land raising. However, as became