CAPACITY BULDING | CAP-RES: Building Climate Resilience in Bangladesh through Capacity Building, Innovation and Advocacy

Climate change is a pressing issue for Bangladesh. Since 1990, 95% of its major disasters have been attributed to climate-related causes. However, Bangladesh is known as a global pioneer in climate change adaptation, however vulnerable communities need support to enhance their resilience consistently. This can be achieved by developing their leadership skills, involving them in decision-making, and learning from their climate change adaptation practices. A combination of capacity building skills, research and advocacy can achieve this goal. “This can be achieved by developing their leadership skills, involving them in decision-making, and learning from their climate change adaptation practices” Given the circumstances and with the long-term experience on climate change issues for vulnerable communities, the International Center for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), is implementing a project known as “Capacity strengthening of multi-Actors to limit climate change impacts and Enhance resilience- (CAP-RES)” to fill the knowledge gaps on climate change issues that exist in local, regional and national level; and thereby capacitating multi-actors (such as researchers, NGOs, CBOs, private sectors, government officials, think tanks, universities, schools, etc.) to take up leadership in climate action. The project CAP-RES is designed with three objectives shown in Figure 1 diagram. In line with these three objectives, the project plans to conduct five major activities and play a comprehensive role in strengthening climate resilience. Figure 2 outlines this. The nexus between objectives, activity, and strength resilience: Figure 3 illustrates the interconnected relationship and synergy between three key objectives. “Capacity building” is a central goal, directly advanced by activity pillars 3 and 4, both of which emphasize enhancing the capabilities of diverse individuals through training, workshops, policy dialogues, internships, and more. “The generation of evidence” is another important objective, primarily addressed by activity pillars 1 and 2, which focus on providing funding for research, projects, and campaign ideas led by young researchers, university students, and clubs. The final objective, “advocacy,” is accomplished by engaging policy-makers at local, national, and international levels through events associated with the Conference of the Parties (COP). Below all the activities are explained for detailed understanding. Research Grant and Fellowship: Aims to generate ground evidence of climate change reality and gaps through research for feeding into policy advocacy. A total of 60 university students and young researchers representing various regions of the country will receive comprehensive financial and technical backing to carry out 60 distinct research initiatives. This initiative foresees the researchers contributing to the discourse on critical climate change. In the current year, 15 researchers are pursuing various topics in the field of climate change. Furthermore, this program offers internship opportunities for sixteen graduate and master’s level students and; provide research grants to enhance the capacity and skill sets of these individuals to support their future careers in the field of climate change. Education, Knowledge, and Awareness through Youth Programme: CAP-RES acknowledges the vital role of the younger generation in tackling the climate crisis. The project empowers youth with climate change expertise via workshops, classes, excursions, COP event participation, policy discussions, and seed funds for project implementation. By engaging youth in knowledge-building, CAP-RES aims to harness their energy, creativity, and commitment to a sustainable future. Importantly, the 120 well-trained youth will share this knowledge in their communities, inspiring other young individuals to engage in climate change initiatives. Since the project emphasizes local implementation, it will also spotlight local leadership and the practice of locally led adaptation. Research, Network & Knowledge Generation: CAP_RES has designed five in-depth research on locally led adaptation (LLA) and loss and damage (L&D) through keeping the local governments and communities, youth and women at the heart of the research objectives. This year the project initiated its research on “Exploring Village Common Forest (VCF): Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change and Sustainable Management through Indigenous Community’s Participation”. The prime focus of the research study is to identify the climate-induced challenges related to the livelihoods of the local inhabitants of the Chittagong hill tracts region and understand their dependency on natural resources. The initial survey findings suggest that climate change has negatively impacted the livelihood of indigenous communities and influenced the dependency on VCF resources. Besides longitudinal studies, the online platforms, publication, knowledge dissemination platforms, such as the National Platform of Locally led Adaptation (LLA) would play a vital role in following up on the uptake of its research findings towards action and advocacy. Advocacy: The project’s final activity involves organizing a policy dialogue to address issues identified through research. This brings together stakeholders for constructive discussions, fostering a shared understanding on exploring solutions. The dialogue facilitates the exchange of perspectives, experiences, and collective brainstorming for potential actions. It sensitizes national policymakers to co-generate knowledge, making it easier to advocate for policy changes or implement practical measures supporting local Led-Adaptation (LLA) and addressing Loss and Damage (L&D). “The project’s final activity involves organizing a policy dialogue to address issues identified through research” In conclusion, the CAP-RES project offers an innovative and holistic approach to tackling Bangladesh’s climate challenges. Recognizing the nation’s vulnerability, it addresses these issues through research, capacity building, youth involvement, and evidence-based advocacy. By empowering various stakeholders and youth, the project fills knowledge gaps and fosters climate action leadership. Through policy dialogues and engagement with national leaders, CAP-RES converts research into practical solutions. This integrated strategy holds promise for a more sustainable and resilient future in the face of climate challenges. Authors: Maria Aktar working as an Assistant Project Manager at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD). Juel Mahmud is leading the Climate Change and Displacement program as a Programme Coordinator at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD). Tamanna Hannan working as a Research Intern at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).