Background
Bangladesh’s coastal region is highly vulnerable to recurring climate shocks, including salinity intrusion, cyclones, tidal flooding, and severe scarcity of safe drinking water. These challenges continue to threaten livelihoods, food security, and community stability, forcing many families to migrate in search of alternative income opportunities.
Despite these challenges, coastal communities are home to a vibrant and creative generation of young people with strong potential to become climate innovators and local change-makers. However, youth in coastal areas remain largely underrepresented in development initiatives and often lack access to platforms, technologies, mentorship, and financial support to transform their ideas into practical solutions. Most existing programs engage youth primarily as campaigners rather than as innovators, leaders, and solution providers.
In response, LEDARS is implementing Youth CALL (Climate Action at Local Level) to establish and facilitate Youth Climate Labs in Kaliganj and Shyamnagar Upazilas of Satkhira District, empowering coastal youth to lead climate action and nutrition-focused innovations at the local level.
Goal of the Project
Specifice Objective
- Establish functional Youth Climate Labs in two coastal upazilas to co-create and test low-cost climate adaptation technologies.
- Build leadership and technical capacity of at least 72 youth (50% women) on climate change, nutrition improvement, and project management.
- Promote knowledge co-creation and policy dialogue by linking youth innovations with local government institutions and nutrition strategies.
Major Intervention
1. Establishment of Youth Climate Labs
Youth and communities in the southwestern coastal region are empowered through the establishment of Youth Climate Labs at the Upazila level. Under the Climate Action at Local Level (CALL) initiative, Youth Climate Justice Forums (YCJF) have been formed in 24 unions across two upazilas.
From each union, three youth members are selected through an open and competitive process to participate in Youth Climate Lab management. A total of 36 youth from each upazila form a Youth Climate Lab, governed by a 7-member Executive Committee. The Lab centers are equipped with essential facilities, including internet access, disaster information boards, and demonstration spaces to showcase innovative, community-based climate solutions.
2. Capacity Building and Leadership Development
Youth Climate Lab members and Union Nutrition Leaders receive targeted training on climate change, climate-resilient agriculture, and nutrition management. Additional leadership and organizational management training strengthens skills in teamwork, documentation, financial management, monitoring, and reporting. These capacities enable youth to independently manage lab operations and effectively implement climate and nutrition initiatives in their communities.
3. Knowledge Co-creation and Technical Support
The Upazila Youth Climate Labs support youth-led innovation through open calls for ideas. Through the Resilient Innovation Champion competition, 72 innovative ideas are selected across the two upazilas. Youth innovators receive technical mentoring and modest financial support to co-create solutions by combining scientific knowledge with local and indigenous practices. A dedicated Scrutiny Committee mentors, monitors, and supports field implementation, ensuring quality, learning, and scalability of 72 youth-led innovation projects throughout the project area.
4. Community Outreach and Knowledge Sharing
Trained Youth Climate Lab members conduct 72 Climate Field School sessions to raise community awareness on climate change, climate science, adaptive agriculture, and nutrition improvement. Annual Climate and Nutrition Innovation Fairs provide a platform to showcase youth-led solutions and promote peer learning. Each implemented innovation is documented through short video documentaries to support knowledge sharing, replication, and wider impact beyond the project area.