Bangladesh secures $16m grant to enhance climate resilience
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Climate – Bangladesh
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Bangladesh has signed a $16 million grant financing agreement with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to boost a project to promote climate resilience and diversify agriculture.
The agreement was signed last week at the Economic Relations Department in Dhaka, said a press release on Tuesday.
The project worth $31 million was proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) in 2021.
IFAD will supervise the project titled Diversified Resilient Agriculture for Improved Food and Nutrition Security (Rains), which will be implemented by the agriculture ministry.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (Gain) will provide technical assistance for the project.
The four-year project will work in 14 districts in the coastal region, the drought-prone region, and the northern char region of the country, supporting communities to build resilience to environmental and economic shocks.
By specifically targeting households most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, the project will directly improve income and nutrition of 420,000 women and men, as per the press release.
"Initiatives like Rains, which promote diversified agriculture, may foster agricultural productivity and food availability and enhance overall nutrition status in the country," said Arnoud Hameleers, country director of IFAD in Bangladesh.
The activities under the project will involve facilitating the adoption of climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive technologies by farmers through integrated farming approaches.
Additionally, the project will promote innovative climate-smart water management practices. This will involve providing solar irrigation pump sets, drip irrigation systems, and rainwater harvesting facilities.
These measures will enhance water availability for irrigation and drinking purposes, the press release reads.
