Resilience to Climate Change

Despite producing only 0.56% of the global emission, Bangladesh is persistently facing issues of rising sea levels, floods, intense cyclones, and many more climate-induced disasters. The country has faced approximately 185 extreme weather events from 2000 to 2019, affecting the lives of poor and vulnerable communities and causing substantial economic losses (USD 3.72 billion).

Bangladesh is already a victim of Climate Change Impact. It impacts of (a) natural capitals, like water resources, bio-diversity and environment, (b) Agriculture, like land availability for agriculture, water availability and quality for agriculture, (c) Livestock, like land availability for livestock, livestock and poultry health, (d) Fisheries, like change in fish culture, Change in fish capture, (e) Human Health (heat-wave stress, water-borne and communicable diseases, and (f) Human Security, like climate induced displacements/migration, trafficking and increase rate of early marriage vulnerability.

Despite producing only 0.56% of the global emission, Bangladesh is persistently facing issues of rising sea levels, floods, intense cyclones, and many more climate-induced disasters. The country has faced approximately 185 extreme weather events from 2000 to 2019, affecting the lives of poor and vulnerable communities and causing substantial economic losses (USD 3.72 billion).

Bangladesh is already a victim of Climate Change Impact. It impacts of (a) natural capitals, like water resources, bio-diversity and environment, (b) Agriculture, like land availability for agriculture, water availability and quality for agriculture, (c) Livestock, like land availability for livestock, livestock and poultry health, (d) Fisheries, like change in fish culture, Change in fish capture, (e) Human Health (heat-wave stress, water-borne and communicable diseases, and (f) Human Security, like climate induced displacements/migration, trafficking and increase rate of early marriage vulnerability.

Women, children and persons with disabilities (PDW) are the main victims of any types of disaster including climate induced disaster. Devastating cyclones is almost a regular events in the coastal areas of Bangladesh that causes economic, social and infrastructural damages to the victims. The survivors of such disasters become again the victims of unsafe migration (including modern slavery) as well as women and child trafficking.

Given its ambition to achieve upper middle-income status by 2030, the government of Bangladesh takes a pro-active approach in addressing major challenges related to climate change and development. In support of this process RDF has been contributing to reduce climate change vulnerabilities through development of resilience to climate change, adopting green energy for reducing carbon emission, alternative skills development, promoting Climate Smart Agriculture in Bangladesh. RDF works in all phases of the climate change risk reduction thus creating resilience to climate change vulnerabilities in the Central South coastal areas of Bangladesh. 

socioeconomic condition of the people of Bangladesh. The vision of the Government is to make electricity available for all by 2021. In order to fulfill the vision, the Government has given topmost priority to the power sector and has prepared short-, medium- and long-term power generation plans using gas, coal, duel fuel, nuclear and renewable energy resources. Renewable energy has been playing a vital role in meeting the demand for electricity, especially in the off-grid areas of the country. The Government has set a target to generate 10 %  of the total electricity supply from renewable energy resources by 2021.

To contribute to the national goal of the country, RDF has taken a significant number of renewable energy programmes, at household level, irrigation hubs and at rural market places, for rural electrification and irrigation to expedite the economic growth and food security. RDF is the pioneer of introducing green energy, solar power, in irrigation sector of Bangladesh. The development partners of RDF’s Green Energy Programme are Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Disaster and Relief, community micro and small entrepreneurs and Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), a public limited company formed by the Government of Bangladesh.,   As of June 2020, RDF produced 9.50 MW electricity by installation of solar power projects.

In 2012, RDF started SIPS activities with the Gob owned Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL). Now RDF is the pioneer in this arena in Renewable Energy Sector mainly in SIPS. RDF as of now has installed a number of 147 SIPS which covered 9,940 bighas of agricultural land and directly involved/benefitted 39,616 (8,804 households) beneficiaries.

Impacts and strength of the Solar Irrigation Pumping System (SIPS)

I. Management and Social Impacts:

It creates tremendous impacts on the cultivators, beneficiaries as well as the societies of a number of 147 SIPS plants area of RDF –

a) Ensured effective management on cultivation getting essential training by the cultivators on yield management from IDCOL, DAE and RDF.

b) Gathered knowledge & efficiency in technology transfer and crops diversifications by the cultivators as well as the beneficiaries.

c) Trained in water distribution & utilization management through introducing & constructing underground buried piping system.

d) Gathered practical knowledge and technical knowhow for growing more consumer foods and other exportable crops.

e)Farmers are more experienced on seed storage management seedling germination management and marketing.

f) It SIPS has removed historical quarrel, conflict among the farmers’ familiars.

g)Long term entrepreneurship development attitude and technological ideas are taken place in farmer’s level.

h)Established family institutions giving more time in the family activities.

i) Increased social values and relations among the beneficiaries in the society.

j) Increased multiple cultivations system of by-products along with major crops.

II. Economic Impacts:

a)Introduced HYV (High Yield variety) for growing more food exportable crops items in domestic consumption as well as exporting.

b)30-35% production increased in the activity areas

c)100% fuel consumption saved in the plants by removed diesel operated pumps.

d)About 35% Income of the beneficiaries increased by 3-4 cycle crops & farmers potentialities.

e) Low cost and need based water supply with efficient water management ensured minimum cost of production.

f) Saved huge (measurable) foreign currency for importing diesel.

g)100% electricity consumption saved in the SIPS plants operated areas.

h)Ensured food security in the locality which creates significant value of peaceful living of the farmers.

i)Significantly increased productivity of land through well managed fertilizer using.

III. Environmental Impacts:

a)Ensured sophisticated and easy operational technologies.

b)Hassel and risk free management & operations system.

c) No loss of land through installing buried piping system.

d) Established Green environment and pollution free irrigation system Solutions.

e) Removal of all diesel engines in the operational areas ensured free and friendly operations.

f) Tobacco cultivation decreases significantly.

IV. Climate Impacts:

(a) Carbon (Co2) emission is reduced a lot in the operational areas.

(b) Solar Irrigation Pumping System (SIPS) addressing to remove climate vulnerability.

(c) It has been playing significant role of reducing air pollution and ensuring pollution free

Solar Home System

Power is one of the most important factors in developing the economy and the standard of living of a country. Like the rest of the countries of the world, in Bangladesh the demand for power is increasing day by day. To fulfill our future power demands, Solar Home System (SHS) seems to be the only feasible form of renewable energy despite the cloudy climate in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, a large portion of total population still does not have the access to electricity. Nowadays fuels account for 99% of energy consumed in rural households. Only about 60% of total populations in Bangladesh have access to electricity and it would take around 15 years to provide electricity to allTo solve this energy crisis we can use different form of renewable energy to generate power. Renewable energy comes from different types of natural resources mainly from sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geo thermal heat, biodiesel, biofuel, etc. Many Government and non-government organizations are working with different types of renewable energy sources to provide electricity to the common masses. To fulfill our electricity demand solar energy through solar home system (SHS) has become popular in Bangladesh due to its low price and loan system provided by different organizations.

Rural Electrification Board (REB), the state-owned utility responsible for grid-electrification in rural areas. The second approach is through a private implementing agency, the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), which sold the systems to households using a micro-finance scheme implemented by various private agencies, where RDF is one of the vital actors in the field. [3]. Nowadays people of the country have taken solar energy as the alternate of grid electricity. However, SHS user may face some problems due to the new technology, lack of knowledge and lack of consciousness. Therefore RDF puts importance to assess on SHS user for a bright future of solar PV panel as source of efficient electricity generation in Bangladesh

RDF with the support from IDCOL and concerned ministries of Bangladesh, has installed a total of 204852 SHS, in 46 districts having, capacity of 9.50 MW as of June, 2020.

Street Lightening System (SLS)

Similarly, RDF, with the support from IDCOL and concerned ministries of Bangladesh, has installed a total of 25,650 units of Street Light covering 260 Km roads under 14 districts having, capacity of 1.25 MW as of June, 2020. In next five years RDF has a target continue its Solar Street Lighting system with necessary supports from various national and international organizations.

country‘s high population density – is significant in view of the likely impact on people‘s livelihoods. It also impacts on Bangladesh‘s capacity to improve its medium-term growth performance and thereby lift some 55 million people out of poverty.

Over the last three decades, the country has invested heavily in adaptation measures. As a result, Bangladesh‘s ability to manage disasters, in particular, floods and cyclones, has improved dramatically since 1991. With a view to building a medium- to long-term program for enhancing resilience to climate shocks and facilitating low carbon and sustainable growth, Bangladesh launched its first Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan at the UK-Bangladesh Climate Change Conference in London in September, 2008. 

Aligning with Bangladesh Government’s policy and strategies on climate change vulnerabilities, RDF has also set out its objectives like;

(a)  Food Security, Social Safety net and health

(b)  Comprehensive disaster management

(c)  Develop climate proof Infrastructure

(d)  Research and Knowledge Management

(e)  Mitigation and low carbon emission/development (by expanding its green energy initiative to replace fuel burning for household use and in the agricultural sector.

(f)   Capacity building of the community people on disaster risk reduction and resilience.