Example: Extended Community Climate Change Project – Flood (ECCCP-Flood), Northern Bangladesh
The Extended Community Climate Change Project – Flood (ECCCP-Flood) is a community-based adaptation initiative implemented in several flood-prone districts of northern Bangladesh, including Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Jamalpur. This project was financed through climate funds via the Green Climate Fund (GCF) with implementation support from the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and local partners.
Reflection on Key Criteria
1. Represents Community Values
Yes — the project’s interventions were grounded in local knowledge of flood patterns and livelihood needs. Participants helped define which adaptation measures were most relevant (e.g., raised plinths, resilient water and sanitation options), showing alignment with community priorities rather than external priorities imposed from above.
2. Addresses Challenges
The plan explicitly targeted flood-related challenges that communities identified as central to their vulnerability — loss of crops, damaged homes, water contamination, and disrupted livelihoods. By focusing on adaptive infrastructure and diversified livelihoods (e.g., climate-smart crops, livestock sheds), the project tackled practical barriers to resilience.
3. Adequately Assesses Vulnerability
Yes — baseline assessments identified char-area communities (river islands with insecure land and high flood risk) as among the most vulnerable, especially women and poor households whose livelihoods depended on flood-sensitive agriculture. These assessments informed both prioritisation and design of interventions, ensuring measures were tailored to actual vulnerability drivers.
4. Demonstrates Conflict Resolution
The project incorporated inclusive decision-making structures and stakeholder engagement across gender and socio-economic lines, reducing potential conflict over resource allocation or project benefits. Prioritising female-led households and marginalised groups helped prevent elite capture and supported equitable participation in benefits and governance structures
5. Meets the Community’s Expectations and Needs
Feedback from beneficiaries (through interviews and community meetings) indicated the project successfully reduced immediate flood impacts on homes and water access, while offering new livelihood stability through safe drinking water and improved farming practices. Community members reported that having raised plinths and resilient infrastructure directly reduced flood losses.
6. Contributes to Adaptive Capacity
The ECCCP-Flood project built lasting adaptive capacity by:
Strengthening local disaster preparedness and response;
Promoting diversified income options that are less vulnerable to floods;
Equipping communities with tools and knowledge to manage future climate stresses; and