Resilient Institution for Scaling-up Empowerment (RISE)

Project Title: Resilient Institution for Scaling-up Empowerment (RISE)
Name of the Donor: Comic Relief, UK
Duration: July 2025 to June 2029

Background

Bangladesh, the eighth-most populous country in the world, is highly vulnerable to climate change, with rising sea levels, cyclones, and erratic rainfall severely impacting agriculture, water security, and livelihoods. The south-western coastal region, home to the Sundarbans, faces increased salinity, frequent disasters, and declining agricultural productivity, forcing many to migrate for alternative income, leading to social tensions and gender disparities. Limited economic opportunities, inflation and poor infrastructure further marginalize communities, while inadequate access to safe drinking water and healthcare exacerbate health crises, particularly among women and girls. In these circumstances, LEDARS has been implemented Resilient Institution for Scaling-up Empowerment (RISE) in the southwest coastal area-Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira district of Bangladesh with the support from Comic Relief, Uk.

Goal of the Project

Enhancing climate-resilient livelihoods in coastal communities through sustainable agricultural practices, improved access to safe water, and empowered communities capable of adapting to climate change.

Objective

Promoting climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agriculture by introducing stress-tolerant crops, ecological farming practices, and capacity building for farmers to improve food security and nutrition.
Improving access to safe and sustainable water resources for drinking, household use, and agricultural production to reduce vulnerability to salinity and water scarcity.
Strengthening community organizations and local institutions to lead collective action, build awareness on disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and ensure inclusive participation of women and marginalized groups.

Major Intervention

Peoples Organization formation and capacity building:
The project mobilizes communities to form Climate Resilient Groups (CRGs) and Women self-help Group (WSHG) to strengthen collective action for climate adaptation. These groups serve as platforms for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and community-driven solutions. Capacity development initiatives focus on leadership, organizational management, climate-smart agriculture, and disaster risk reduction, enabling local groups to become active agents of resilience and inclusive development.

Women’s Self-Help Group (WSHG):
Women Self-Help Group is a village-based people’s Organization consisting of 30 vulnerable and poor women who come together monthly basis to discuss issues related to women’s rights, gender equality, social justice, climate change, adaptation, mitigation etc. Through collective dialogue and mutual support, the group identifies local challenges faced by women and works together to find sustainable, community-led solutions. WSHG also fosters entrepreneurship among its members by building skills, sharing resources and exploring income-generating opportunities. This group creates a safe and supportive space where women can grow in confidence, leadership and independence. They will develop a separate bylaws by themselves, LEDARS will facilitate the process.

Climate Resilient Group (CRG):
Climate Resilient Group is a village-based People’s Organization that consist of women and men who work together to strengthen local resilience against climate change. The group serves as a platform for open discussion, knowledge sharing and collective action on climate-related issues. Members identify locally-led solutions to climate challenges, such as climate change, adaptation, resilience, salinity, water scarcity, disaster risks—and implement them through joint efforts. The CRG also promotes successful practices by sharing experiences with neighboring communities, inspiring wider action for a climate-resilient future. They will develop a separate bylaws by themselves, LEDARS will facilitate the process.

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.

Ensuring access to safe Drinking Water:
Safe and reliable access to drinking water is a critical need in salinity-affected coastal areas. The project promotes climate-resilient water solutions such as pond sand filters, rainwater harvesting, and community-based water management systems. These interventions reduce dependency on saline sources and ensure year-round access to safe water for households, thereby improving health, reducing women’s workload, and strengthening climate resilience.

Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment:
Recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, the project places strong emphasis on women’s economic empowerment. Women are supported to develop entrepreneurship skills, access financial services, and diversify their livelihoods through small-scale businesses, value chain integration, and nutrition-sensitive enterprises. This not only enhances household income and food security but also promotes women’s leadership and decision-making roles in the community.

Strengthening Advocacy for Climate Action:
The project works to amplify community voices and influence policies by strengthening advocacy for climate justice and resilience. Strategic dialogues, public hearings, and networking with government institutions, civil society, and private sector stakeholders are organized to integrate local priorities into policy and planning processes. By empowering communities- especially women and marginalized groups- to engage in advocacy, the project contributes to more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable climate action.