ACCESS4ALL Group

Identification and mapping tools: The power-interest matrix (Manage Closely / Keep Satisfied / Keep Informed / Monitor) was the most useful tool from this module it forces you to separate two questions that often get conflated: who controls a project versus who actually depends on it. In the SRP case study, this distinction revealed that the most vulnerable groups (fishers, honey collectors, women) had the least formal power despite carrying the highest stake.

Negotiation and communication: Active listening and finding common ground matter more than technical expertise when interests conflict as seen in the Satkhira example, where progress depended on alliance-building across groups rather than one side dominating. In practice, this means creating space for lower-power stakeholders to voice concerns before decisions are finalized, not just informing them afterward.

Best practices for inclusive, sustainable collaboration: Continuous communication and trust-building over the project's full lifecycle not just a one-time stakeholder map at kickoff. A concrete…

I mapped 10 SRP stakeholders into a power-interest matrix:

Manage Closely: Forest Department, international donors, implementing NGOs (IUCN, BRAC)

Keep Satisfied: Ministry of Environment, shrimp farming industry, local government

Keep Informed: fishing communities, honey collectors, women's groups

Monitor: research institutions

Influence vs. benefit: The Forest Department and donors hold the most influence through funding and policy control, but local fishers, honey collectors, and women's groups benefit most directly, since their livelihoods depend on the ecosystem. This gap between power and benefit is common in climate adaptation projects.

Bangladesh shares striking similarities with the Philippines when it comes to climate vulnerability. As a low-lying delta nation with an extensive coastline along the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh is regularly struck by cyclones, storm surges and tidal flooding most notably Cyclone Sidr (2007), Cyclone Aila (2009) and Cyclone Amphan (2020), each of which caused mass displacement and destroyed embankments protecting coastal communities. Climate change has intensified both the frequency and severity of these events much like Typhoon Haiyan did in the Philippines.

The areas facing the greatest impact are the southwestern coastal districts Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat which border the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. This is a key parallel to the Philippines case: the Sundarbans has historically acted as a natural buffer, absorbing storm surges and reducing wind speed before cyclones reach inland communities. However, similar to the Philippines' experience, mangrove areas have faced pressure from shrimp farming expansion,…