Three thousand saplings have been distributed among women farmers in Mahipur, Patuakhali, as part of an initiative to address the risks of climate change, protect the environment and promote climate-resilient agricultural practices.

The programme was organized on Tuesday (August 25) at the Mahipur office of Caritas Barishal Region under the ECRAB project, titled “Enhancing the Capacity of Marginalized Communities in Bangladesh for Climate-Resilient Adaptation through Eco-Ecology Practices in Agriculture.”

The event began at 2:00 pm in the Andharmanik Training Room of the Caritas Mahipur office. Caritas Barishal Region Regional Director Mr. Marcel Ratan Guda chaired the programme, while Kalapara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Arifuzzaman attended as the chief guest.

Kalapara Upazila Agriculture Officer Arafat Hossain was present as a special guest. Also attending were Mahipur Sadar Union Parishad Chairman Haji Md. Fazlu Gazi, Caritas Central Office Dhaka ECFS Manager Mr. Subash A. Gomes, Senior Programme Officer Mr. Bikram Chandra Biswas, Caritas Barishal Region’s Junior Programme Officer for the ECRAB and Dharitri projects in Kalapara, Mr. George Bairagi, Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Md. Ashraf Ali, Mahipur Sadar Union Parishad Panel Chairman Md. Ibrahim Khan, Kuakata Reporters Unity President Mizanur Rahman Ripon, Caritas LCMO official Mr. Mongmya, and officials of the Caritas Mahipur office.

At the beginning of the programme, Caritas Bangladesh Central Office Senior Programme Officer Mr. Bikram Chandra Biswas delivered the welcome address. Highlighting the background of the sapling distribution initiative, he said such programmes play an important role in protecting the environment and making agriculture more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

An open discussion was held later, where participants discussed environmental conservation, the importance of trees and proper care of the saplings. Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Md. Ashraf Ali and ECFS Manager Mr. Subash A. Gomes provided guidance on these issues. Mahipur Sadar Union Parishad Chairman Haji Md. Fazlu Gazi highlighted various aspects of the Caritas Bangladesh ECRAB project and its tree-planting activities.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Arafat Hossain provided guidance on ensuring proper maintenance of the saplings and increasing women’s participation in tree-planting initiatives.

In his speech, chief guest UNO Md. Arifuzzaman praised Caritas Bangladesh’s local initiative to address the risks associated with climate change. He later distributed the saplings among the women farmers.

He said private organizations have also come forward alongside the Bangladesh government’s tree-planting programme, which aims to plant 250 million saplings over five years. As development partners of the government, these organizations have already taken initiatives to implement tree-planting programmes. He thanked Caritas Bangladesh for distributing 3,000 saplings among women farmers through its Mahipur branch.

Later, UNO Md. Arifuzzaman planted a jackfruit sapling in front of the Caritas Mahipur office.

In his concluding remarks, chairman Mr. Marcel Guda said Caritas Bangladesh would implement a programme to plant 2.5 million trees over the next five years, as announced by its Managing Director. As part of that target and in its role as a development partner of the government, the Mahipur Caritas office has taken the initiative to distribute 3,000 saplings of five varieties among women farmers.

He said tree-planting activities under the ECRAB project are highly important for addressing the impacts of climate change, strengthening adaptive capacity, improving the livelihoods of marginalized communities and creating green belts.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks to everyone involved.

The sapling distribution programme under the ECRAB initiative of the Caritas Barishal Region’s Mahipur office was conducted by Mr. Samrat Sebastian, DM Programme Officer of Caritas Barishal Region.