ACCESS4ALL Group

1: Stakeholder Influence and Power in the Sundarbans Project:

Most influence: International donors and national government agencies – they control funding, policy, and project design.

Most benefiting: Local communities – gain direct protection from cyclones/erosion, diversified livelihoods, and improved safety/disaster infrastructure. The ecosystem itself (mangroves) also benefits through restoration, indirectly protecting communities

2. Role, Potential Benefits, and Influence of Each Stakeholder

a) Government agencies:

Role: Regulation, infrastructure planning, coordination

Benefit: National coastal security, political credit

Influence:High

b) International Donors:

Role: Funding, technical guidance, monitoring

Benefit: Global climate adaptation goals achieved

Influence: High

c) Local Communities:

Role: Implementation, local knowledge

Benefits: safer lives, alternative incomes, resilience

Influence: Medium

d) NGOs/CSOs :

Role: Training, livelihood support

Benefits: Stronger programs, funding opportunities

Influence: Medium

e) Researchers:

Role: data collection, impact assessment

Benefit: Knowledge generation, publications

Influence: Low–Medium

3. Contribution and Dependency by Group

a) Government agencies: Contribute policy/framework and permit and depend on project success for national adaptation targets.

b) NGOs: Contribute to implementation and community trust and depend on funding from donors.

c) Local communities: Contribute labor, traditional knowledge, and compliancea and highly depend on project outcomes for survival and livelihoods.

Researchers: Contribute scientific evidence and depend on access to field sites and data.

4. Power Imbalances or Overlooked Voices

There is power imbalance. High power with donors/government vs. limited formal power for local communities (especially marginalized groups – women, fishers).

Marginalized groups within communities (e.g., women, indigenous groups) may have low representation in decision-making, risking uneven benefit distribution

5. Determination of Power and Influence

Power and influence were assessed based on:

Control over resources (funding, land, policy) which is donors and government = high.

Ability to affect project direction/objectives = decision-makers.

Dependency on the forest/ecosystem and direct exposure to risks = communities = high interest but medium influence via participation.

Role in implementation and knowledge provision = NGOs and researchers = supportive influence.