Sundarbans Resilience Project Mapping activity
Based on the Sundarban Resilience Project (SRP) case study, stakeholders were identified according to their power, influence, and benefits from the project. In comparison with the reference framework, government and NGOs hold the greatest influence over major project decisions, while local communities benefit the most from project outcomes, particularly through improved livelihoods and increased resilience.
The government plays a key role in policy formulation, regulation, and control of funding and resources, placing it in a high-power and high-influence position. NGOs and development organizations provide funding, design interventions, and implement project activities, giving them significant operational influence. The local community, although the primary beneficiary, mainly participates in implementation, monitoring, and evaluation and has limited influence over strategic decision-making.
Different stakeholder groups contribute to and depend on the project in various ways for instance;
Government agencies provide the institutional framework, NGOs contribute technical expertise and financial resources, and local communities depend on the project for resilience and livelihood support while contributing labor and local knowledge. Researchers, where involved, support evidence-based planning and adaptation strategies.
However, power imbalances exist, as decision-making is largely controlled by high-influence stakeholders, while local communities remain largely recipients of project outcomes. This top-down approach can limit project effectiveness by overlooking local and traditional knowledge. Greater involvement of local communities across all project stages would promote a sense of ownership, integrate local and scientific knowledge, and improve long-term project success.
Lastly, stakeholder power and influence were determined based on control over resources, decision-making authority, and capacity to shape project outcomes, with those holding financial, policy, and technical control assessed as more influential.