A five-year project worth Tk 75 billion is being planned to protect vulnerable communities in 14 coastal districts from floods and climate change-related risks while improving their living standards.

Funded by the World Bank, the project is scheduled to be implemented from the next fiscal year. Various aspects of the initiative were discussed at a meeting between Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan and a nine-member World Bank delegation led by Jean Pesme, division director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, at the Secretariat on Sunday (October 4).

Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hasan was also present at the meeting.

The discussions covered projects being implemented under the Bangladesh Strategic Flood Resilience Program (Flood MPA) and the Coastal Resilience Project. Particular emphasis was placed on protecting vulnerable coastal communities, strengthening their capacity to cope with climate-related disasters and ensuring sustainable development.

Dr Abdul Moin Khan said, “Our main goal is to ensure a peaceful, safe and improved life for the people. Alongside improving their living standards, we must create employment opportunities. The government is interested in working in coordination with the World Bank to achieve these goals. In particular, this project will play an important role in improving the safety and quality of life of vulnerable coastal communities.”

Under the project, various initiatives will be implemented to improve infrastructure, control floods and reduce disaster risks in the 14 vulnerable coastal districts. Discussions also focused on improving living standards, strengthening social protection and increasing employment opportunities for vulnerable communities.

The project will also prioritise improving water treatment and access to safe drinking water to address the impacts of salinity in coastal areas. Increasing the use of surface water while reducing pressure on groundwater will also be emphasised.

Through these measures, the project aims to ensure water security for coastal communities and build long-term capacity to address floods and the impacts of climate change.

Director General of the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection Wing Shibir Bichitra Barua, along with senior officials of the ministry, attended the meeting.