Project Name: Start Network Solidarity Program
Project Objective: 1. Raising Social Awareness: Increase awareness among vulnerable families through various trainings and publicity campaigns. 2. Enhancing the Capacity of Disaster Management Committees: Strengthen the skills of individuals involved in disaster management at the district, upazila, and local levels, and make them aware of their responsibilities and duties. 3. Planning and Implementation: Develop and implement pre-disaster plans to minimize the extent of losses and damages.
Project Goal: Due to the closure of funding for the BPEMS Agragati Project implemented through SDS, activities will now be carried out through the Solidarity Fund to raise disaster awareness among 1,800 climate-affected families. In addition, the initiative will focus on enhancing the capacity of disaster management committees and raising awareness among them in order to reduce the losses and damages caused by disasters.
Project Brief: SDS (Shariatpur Development Society) has been implementing various development projects in Shariatpur as well as in different districts of the country for a long time. As part of this effort, SDS is going to implement a project through the START NETWORK Solidarity Fund with the aim of providing climate-resilient improved agricultural information to vulnerable farming households affected by climate change, strengthening their capacity to cope with post-disaster situations, and supporting at-risk communities in identifying alternative means of livelihood and employment to improve the condition of vulnerable families.
Through this fund, activities will be implemented in eight unions of three upazilas in Shariatpur district (Shariatpur Sadar, Zajira, and Gosairhat). The unions are: Chikondi, Zajira, Joynagar, BK Nagar, Bara Gopalpur, Gosairhat, Nagerpara, and Kodalpur.
Most of the residents in these areas are marginal farmers, fishermen, and boatmen, whose livelihoods depend on the river. However, river erosion has taken away their land, leaving them not only financially devastated but also facing severe psychological stress and the loss of their community identity. These families live in extreme uncertainty and are deprived of basic services such as healthcare, education, and family planning. In particular, women and children are more vulnerable to violence, exploitation, and health complications both before and after displacement
Working Area: Shariatpur Sadar, Zanjira and Goshirhat Upazila of Shariatpur District.
Major activities:
Enhanced capacity of local disaster management committees to integrate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) into local planning and response activities.
Context-specific, actionable contingency plans developed and adopted at multiple administrative levels for improved preparedness and coordinated disaster response.
Increased awareness and knowledge among key stakeholders on early warning systems, climate-resilient agriculture and aquaculture practices, and TIP (Trafficking in Persons) advisories, leading to informed decision-making and community actions.
Functional, inclusive early warning systems established and operational at the community level, ensuring timely dissemination of disaster alerts to vulnerable populations
Tailored Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials produced and distributed to promote awareness and understanding of DRR and CCA among community members and local institutions.
A trained cadre of community-based flood preparedness volunteers capable of supporting local response actions, disseminating early warnings, and assisting during flood events.
