Reducing Climate Vulnerability and Protecting Human Rights through Youth Engagement and Community Participation

Theme                                        : Mitigating climate change impacts on human rights.

Project Title                             : Reducing Climate Vulnerability and Protecting Human Rights through Youth 

                                                           Engagement and Community Participation.

Duration                                  : 07 November - 21 December 2022.

Implementing CSO              : Society of Development and Education for Small Households (SoDESH).

Working District                  : Satkhira.

Project Background            :

Bangladesh experiences some of the most severe impacts of climate change like sea level rise, higher temperatures and evapotranspiration losses, enhanced monsoon precipitation, and run-off potentially reduced dry season precipitation, and increase in cyclone intensity, etc., with impacts already evident in the coastal regions like Satkhira. Recent studies showed that around 32% of coastal communities in are affected by climate-induced hazards each year. In recent years, reduced agricultural production, salinity intrusion, drinking water scarcity, water logging, etc. adverse effects of climate change have led 64% of people to displace locally and 27% of people to displace to other locations in Bangladesh. Again, climate change is causing disproportionate impacts and forcing people to compromise their basic human rights, the latest study reveals.

Many Studies have identified a clear link between rights violations especially when the residual impacts of extreme weather events become persistent and force people to compromise their basic needs and requirements. A study by CPRD showed an increase in dropping out of schools, child marriage, social and sexual harassment, abuse, gender-based violence, unemployment, child labor, etc. in the erosion-displaced communities.  At the same time, migrants, especially women, can be at risk of exploitation, including sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and violations of their rights. Climate risks can make it more difficult for women to migrate due to structural issues.

While these challenges have clear links to the established norms of human rights to which Bangladesh is fully committed as part of its constitutional and international obligations, adherence to the norm of human rights does not exist in a vacuum. Unless sociocultural elements and religious or related customary practices that substantially exclude the affected people within the societal context are removed, legal guarantees will not by themselves be able to protect them from human rights violations. Moreover, the entire scientific community should come forward and provide technical knowledge and support to minimize climate change impacts

As a result, community-based promotion of social and political awareness concerning the challenges affecting these human rights in the project area is critical in conjunction with promoting overall human development to enhance the quality of life for all, including women, youth, ethnic, Dalits, transgender, and persons with disabilities, etc. Again, adaptation strategies should be identified from coastal community resources using their economic instruments and capacities. Only this type of societal environment could better protect and promote climate victims’ rights in Bangladesh that are threatened by climate change impacts.

SODESH is committed to developing the socio-economic condition of disadvantaged people in society and has been contributing it’s all out endeavor to set the ideological goals of integration of women as active agents of development and participants on equal terms with men in the development process and in society in general by removing poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, and prejudices, From this context. SoDESH implemented this short project with the help of UNDP in the 10 most climate-affected unions of Satkhira.

Implementing Area   :

District	Name of Upazila	No. of Unions
Satkhira	Assasuni	5 Unions (Sreeula, Protapnagar, Anulia, Khazra, Baradal)
	Shyamnagar	5 Unions (Padmapukur, Burigoalini, Gabura, , Munshiganj, Ramjannagar)

Implemented Activities   :

1.1 Pre-assessment of climate change impact on human rights of the target communities.

1.2 Community-based awareness-raising sessions/campaign on climate change impact on human rights

            1.2.1 Court yard meeting with community

            1.2.2 Cultural Events (Road Show, Video Show)

1.3 Capacity building (training and exchange learning) of community women and youth on climate change and human rights issues.

            1.3.1  Youth Capacity Build up Training 

            1.3.2 Sharing and Learning Sessions of youth groups with community members

            1.3.3 Human Rights Day Observation

1.4 Document and report human rights impacts of climate change (through engaging women, HRDs and youth) 

1.5 Identifying appropriate solutions and recommended actions for mitigating human rights impacts of climate-change among affected coastal communities.

1.6 Dialogues with local administration, LGIs and authorities on solutions and recommended actions

            1.6.1 Dialogue with UP Members, UDMC, Civil Society and Community Leaders

            1.6.2 Dialogue with UPz Members, UzDMC, Civil Society and Community Leaders 

            1.6.3 Sharing Meeting with DDMC, NGOs and Civil Society