Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change

RDRS Bangladesh is implementing the Expanding Nutrients in Food Systems (ENFS) project to improve nutrition and public health by developing and promoting biofortified food crops, funded by IFPRI-HarvestPlus. RDRS Bangladesh is working closely with government agencies and private sectors to improve nutrition security and livelihoods of vulnerable people, especially women of reproductive age, adolescent girls, and children (boys and girls) aged 6-59 months. This is a four-year project aimed at popularizing biofortified zinc rice in the three districts of northern Bangladesh: Dinajpur, Nilphamari, and Rangpur. The first phase ran from December 2023 to March 2024. The second phase, which continues and expands the activities from Phase 1, began in April 2024 and is set to conclude in March 2025.

The Extended Community Climate Change Project-Drought (ECCCP-Drought) is a four-year project funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and co-financed by the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). It started in March 2024 and will end in October 2027. RDRS Bangladesh is implementing the project in four unions of Niamatpur upazila in Naogaon district. The goal is to increase the resilience of climate-vulnerable communities in drought-prone areas of Bangladesh.

The project interns to address drought-related problems in the Barind region by promoting good water management, adaptive technological practices, and infrastructure maintenance. It also focuses on planning for irrigation, drinking, and household usage. The project aims to reduce water needs by promoting crops with low water requirements during the dry season, reducing irrigation needs by up to 70% in winter. Additionally, it will provide more water access points for drinking, reducing the burden on women.

As a whole the project will in the Barind region will bring 3,500 hectares of land under irrigation by rehabilitating 140 kms of canal in the three selected districts. In order to promote a sustainable use of groundwater resources, the project will implement a Managed Aquifer Recharge technique (rainwater directed through tubes to the aquifer) to replenish the ground water. It is expected that 2,500 rooftop-based MAR (Managed Aquafire Recharge) will replenish about 560,000 m3 of water into the aquifer annually which will increase access to drinking water of the selected communities in proposed districts. 40 inject wells in ponds will replenish 400,000 m3 of water into the aquifer annually. In addition, these ponds will also preserve about 150,000 m3 of water as surface storage. Also, 15,000 farmers will apply drought-adaptive cropping patterns.

RDRS Bangladesh has been implementing the “Realizing Gender Equality, Attitudinal Change & Transformative Systems in Nutrition (REACTS-IN)” project in four upazilas of Thakurgaon district, since December 2023. Funded by IFPRI-HarvestPlus, the project aims to improve zinc nutrition through the adoption of biofortified zinc rice. RDRS Bangladesh collaborates with government agencies and private sectors to enhance nutrition, nutrition-related rights, and gender equality for the poorest and most marginalized, especially women, adolescent girls, and children under 5. Although this is a six-year project, the first phase will conclude in September 2024.

With the support of the Union Federation and in coordination with the DAE, beneficiaries have been selected for this project. The major activities include training for extension personnel, agro dealers, seed dealers, and retailers. The project also focuses on Early Generation Seed (EGS) production and establishing demonstrations. Volunteers and community extension facilitators (CEF) receive training, as do farmer leaders. Additionally, the project includes school sensitization programs, field days, advocacy meetings, and value chain actors' meetings. Development and distribution of SBCC materials and SMS messaging are also key components. These activities aim to enhance the skills and knowledge of all participants involved.

The Rural Micro Enterprise Transformation Project (RMTP) is a 3-year initiative by RDRS Bangladesh, funded by Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It started in September 2022 and will end in August 2025. The project aims to increase income, ensure food security, and improve family nutrition for small farmers and poultry entrepreneurs. It focuses on value addition, expanding financial services, and strengthening the framework for safe eggs, meat, and meat products. The project operates in 25 unions across 5 upazilas in Rangpur, Gaibandha, and Kurigram districts, involving 9,500 farmers and 500 service providers. Private sectors like Agrilife24.com, Renata Limited, Norish Feed Limited, and Aftab Bhohumukhhi Farms Limited support the project by training farmers, modernizing farms, and ensuring quality inputs and services.

Since October 2023, RDRS Bangladesh has been implementing the TROSA 2: Rivers, Rights, and Resilience project in Kurigram district, covering 4 upazilas. Funded by Oxfam in Bangladesh and partnered with CNRS, the project focuses on advocacy, influencing, and research for inclusive transboundary water governance. It aims to improve cooperation in managing shared water resources and strengthen the climate resilience of communities in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River basins.

During the implementation, two key activities stood out. The first is Nodi-Boithok, a bottom-up approach at the village level. It provides a platform for community members (men, women, and youth) to share their concerns and find solutions. This has boosted confidence, especially among women, about their rights and entitlements. The second is Bandal, which acts as protective walls to mitigate river erosion by changing the river’s flow, thus reducing flood damage.’