Concerned Worldwide (CWW) in a joint venture with Regional Centre for Development Cooperation (RCDC) on Monday launched a project ‘Parivartan- a multi- countries’ climate change initiative in India and Bangladesh’ to reduce risk of coastal communities to climate change and natural hazards.

As many as four districts of Bangladesh and two districts of Odisha have been included in the five-year project. Six seaside gram panchayats (GP) of Rangani, Talachua, Dera, Gupti, Bramahanasahi and Koilipur in Kendrapada district and two GPs of Kusupur and Baramundali under Balikuda block in Jagatsinghpur district have been included in the project whereas Khuluna, Satkira, Barguna and Patuakhali districts in Bangladesh have been added, said technical coordinator of CWW Saroj Das while launching the project on Monday.

Climate change could affect the economy of India and Bangladesh unless a range of steps are taken to address the effects of increased surface temperature on monsoon patterns and river flows. Whereas 5.50 lakh population in Bangladesh will get benefit under the project, in India a population of 54,148 will be benefited directly and another 5.89 lakh will get indirect benefits, informed Das.

Due to consistent exposure to natural and man-made shocks and stresses, the coping capacity of the inhabitants is being slowly eroded, along with their livelihoods. Community members are constrained by the fact that there is little awareness within the community about climate change or disaster risk reduction strategies that could reduce their risks and vulnerability. The objective of the five-year long project is to contribute towards poverty alleviation among poor community in coastal area of the Bay of Bengal and building their resilience to prepare for and adapt to the impacts climate change, informed programme co-coordinator of RCDC for Kendrapada Priyabrata Satapathy.

A sum of Rs 3.32 crore is going to be spent in the two coastal districts for implementing the project, added Satapathy.