Winrock launches project to reduce prevalence of climate change induced human trafficking

Winrock International, with support from the US Department of State, kicked off a flagship project nationwide titled Bangladesh Programme to End Modern Slavery (B-PEMS) AugroJatra Climate Change or in short "AugroJatra" on Tuesday (27 February) at a hotel in Dhaka.

AugroJatra project represents a pioneering initiative aimed at tackling the pressing issue of climate change-induced modern slavery and human trafficking in Bangladesh.

Considering Bangladesh's pronounced vulnerability to climatic hazards and its impacts on people's livelihoods, communities most at-risk are prone to engaging in risky mobility that increases chances of exploitation and trafficking.

To address this multifaceted challenge, Winrock International, in collaboration with the Penn Development Research Initiative (PDRI) of the University of Pennsylvania and seven local partner organisations -- namely Agrogoti Sangstha, Association of Voluntary Actions for Society (AVAS), Development Research Initiative (DRI), Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK), Shariatpur Development Society (SDS), TMSS, and Welfare Association for Development Alternative (WADA) -- is implementing the AugroJatra project with an aim to reduce the prevalence of trafficking in farming and fishing households vulnerable to climate change across 11 districts in Bangladesh.

The working districts are Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Faridpur, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Barishal and Patuakhali.

This project underlines the commitment by Bangladesh and the United States to work together to combat both human trafficking and climate change. It will enhance the global community's knowledge through generating an evidence base of empirical data that links climate change and trafficking in persons (TIP). 

It will contribute to an improved understanding of risky mobility and decision making under climactic vulnerable situations by following a rigorous scientific method from site selection to activity design, said Ahmad Ibrahim, Program, Research, & Knowledge Management advisor, B-PEMS AugroJatra Climate Change Project, Winrock International.

Moreover, to improve climate resilient livelihoods for at-risk populations in farming and fishing communities in climate vulnerable locations, the project is going to initiate context-specific interventions for strengthening resilience in collaboration with the communities and service providers, stated Zakia Naznin, senior technical lead and head of programmes, B-PEMS AugroJatra Climate Change Project, Winrock International while presenting the key presentation of the project.

On the occasion, the special guest of the event, Helen LaFave, chargé d'affaires, US Embassy in Bangladesh, said, "This program will help protect farming and fishing families whose livelihoods have been damaged by climate change from the twin threats of modern slavery and human trafficking. It is an excellent example of Bangladesh and the United States working together to address a global issue."