Climate Action at Local Level (CALL)

Project Title: Climate Action at Local Level (CALL)
Name of the Donor: Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
Duration: July 2025 to November 2026

Background

The coastal regions of Bangladesh especially southwest region is a part of a highly fragile food system, making them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Frequent natural disasters such as cyclones, tidal surges, and salinity intrusion, combined with unpredictable monsoon rainfall, are severely disrupting agricultural production and food supply. Agriculture, the primary livelihood for most communities in these areas, faces multiple challenges including waterlogging, drought, high rainfall variability, saline intrusion, and limited freshwater availability for irrigation. About 62% of coastal lands are affected by soil salinity, which hampers rice growth and overall crop productivity, with salinity levels exceeding 4 dS/m during dry months. Even small increases in rainfall slightly reduce soil salinity, but monsoon unpredictability limits this effect. Consequently, this region has experienced a steady decline of approximately 3.45% in agricultural output annually. Addressing these challenges is critical to improving food security, enhancing community resilience, and sustaining livelihoods in these climate-affected coastal areas. Considering this situation LEDARS is implementing Climate Action at Local Level (CALL) project with the support from Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

Goal of the Project

To strengthen local communities and institutions in order to create a climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive food system.

Objective

The overall objective is to engage the targeted community along with public and private service providers in a holistic approach to establish a safe food production system, produce nutritious foods and educate the community about disaster risks management, climate change adaptation with sound health services for MCHN.

Major Intervention

People Organization Formation and Capacity Development:
To promote climate adaptation and strengthen resource user groups for community-led adaptation, LEDARS mobilized Community peoples in 24 Union of Shymnagar and Kaligonj Upazila in Satkhira District of Bangladesh. Through this initiative, 160 Climate Resilient Groups (CRGs) have been formed at the village levels. Climate Resilient Group is a village-based People’s Organization that consist of women and men who work together to strengthen resilience agriculture against climate change. The group serves as a platform for open discussion, knowledge sharing and collective action on climate-related issues.

Promoting Resilient and Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture:
LEDARS is promoting adaptive, ecological, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture in the coastal areas to strengthen community resilience against climate change. The project focuses on developing and strengthening people’s organizations, raising community awareness, providing stress-tolerant varieties of rice and vegetable seeds, and supporting improved water management for agriculture. Nutrition is integrated by promoting the production and consumption of diverse, nutrient-rich crops to enhance food and dietary security at the household level. Indigenous and scientific knowledge are combined to ensure optimal use of available resources while fostering climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices that improve both livelihoods and community health.

Collaboration with Local Government:
The CALL project emphasizes strong collaboration with local government institutions to ensure sustainable and inclusive development outcomes. The CALL project has been formed Multi Stakeholders Platform (MSP) in union level of the working area. Through regular coordination meetings, joint planning sessions, and capacity-building initiatives, the project ensures that community priorities are integrated into local planning processes. Linkages between Climate Resilient Groups and government service providers have been established to facilitate access to technical support, inputs, and extension services. This collaborative approach enhances local governance, promotes accountability, and ensures that climate adaptation and nutrition-sensitive interventions are effectively implemented at the community level.

Increase Involvement of Government Concerned Departments:
Collaboration with government agencies, including agriculture, fisheries and livestock departments, will be strengthened to improve service delivery and policy implementation. Regular coordination meetings and training programs have been conducted to enhance government responsiveness to community needs. The project has established linkages between community groups and government service providers to ensure inclusive and effective development interventions.