The Global Programme India focuses on the institutionalisation of knowledge transfer through cross-border exchanges and learning with civil society organisations in Bangladesh. The Civil Society Learning vertical of the programme promotes constructive exchange through joint learning between the various actors involved in the implementation of resilient models. In this context, the Global Programme organised an international exposure to neighbouring Bangladesh, which has similar geo-climatic challenges, to exchange knowledge and experience.

A four-day exposure visit was organised from June 20th to June 24th, 2023, to Caritas Bangladesh programme areas in the Khulna region. The visiting team, which included 14 selected members, including Programme Directors, State Steering Committee Members, community volunteers, and staff of Caritas India and partners from Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar, visited various programme sites, including BMZ-supported programme areas in the Khulna Region of Bangladesh.

The objective of the visit was to exchange ideas and experiences between Caritas Bangladesh and Caritas India working in the areas of inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction programmes. The visit enhanced knowledge and understanding of the replicability of innovative practises on community resilience, sustainability approaches, preparedness at different levels, climate resilient agriculture practises, livelihood alternatives, low-cost resilient infrastructures, and community early warning systems.

Keeping the above objectives in mind, the team started the journey on June 20, 2023, from Kolkata to Jessore, where it was welcomed with a bouquet of flowers by the Caritas Bangladesh Team. The first day of the exchange visit represents Caritas Bangladesh’s effort to work with the SHG members from Srifolkati village and Ishwaripur Union in Shyamnagar on climate-resilient vegetable cultivation, fish farming, pond dike culture, vermin compost, poultry, and livestock. During the visit, Indian delegates witnessed the demonstration of the asset-based community-driven (ABCD) approach to community mobilisation and action planning. The team was delighted to learn about community empowerment and their passion for the activities they learned about during the programme period.

Interaction with the community living in urban slum areas was done on the second day of the visit to enhance knowledge of the community’s accountability and ownership to maintain the assets, such as community toilets, created with the support of the programme.

The team also observed that despite congested slum areas, the community was still able to manage to keep the surroundings clean with an increased knowledge of water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) aspects. The day was ended with an interaction with the Caritas Bangladesh team in Khulna Regional Office, wherein Dr. Jaison Varghese, Senior Programme Lead, Caritas India, highlighted the overall Global Programme India’s results and some of the good practises initiated in Bihar, Assam, Odisha, and West Bengal. Representatives from Caritas Bangladesh also shared some of the good practises done in the country through various programmes, especially the recently initiated disaster risk reduction programme.

In line with the presentation, Dr. Suresh Babu, Associate Professor, NIRD, one of the State Steering Committee members from India, gave input on resilient agriculture practises and shared some of the government initiatives both in India and Bangladesh.

Banisanta Union and Laudobe Union are the two last villages where the team visited and received some new ideas and knowledge about the saline-tolerant community-level demo plot, sustainability of DRR measures, water harvesting models, disaster preparedness measures, demonstrations on household levels, and the roles of task force members. The visit ended with a meeting of the Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) and different stakeholders.

Some of the key learnings and takeaways from the visit:

1. Engaging local universities in the planning phase for a feasibility study
2. Sack bag cultivation as a coping strategy against salinity
3. Community rainwater harvesting is a common practise, and assets are effectively maintained by the user groups.
4. Existence of a strong Civil Society organisation to sustain the progress beyond the project period.
5. Community Capacity building on resilience and training local masons on the construction of disaster-resistant houses, Accessible toilets, and water points in vulnerable areas
6. Women groups and farmers are trained on climate-resilient crops and agriculture practises, nature-based farming, organic farming, etc., and support is provided for adaptation.
7. Multi-purpose Cyclone shelters, Low-cost Resilient houses, Raised Community toilets, and Safe drinking water tanks are constructed by the programme as per the needs of the vulnerable community.
8. The tie-down method is used in Kaccha houses to strengthen structures that are inherently weak, such as roofs made of concrete.
9. Migration tracking committee to track the trajectory of in- and out-migration
10. Emergence of Microcredit unions in the programme villages as sustainability indicators for economic resilience