Youth-led climate project helps farmers beat flood risks

A youth-led climate resilience initiative is helping farmers in the flood-prone char lands of Savar protect their harvests and improve household nutrition, demonstrating how community-driven action can strengthen food security in vulnerable areas.

Under the “Climate Action at Local Level” (CALL) project, implemented by the OBHIZATRIK Foundation with support from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and funding from the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, farmers have successfully cultivated flood-tolerant and zinc-fortified BRRI dhan-102 rice in areas frequently affected by river erosion and seasonal flooding.

Project organisers said 10 out of 12 demonstration plots established in the char areas were harvested successfully this season, offering fresh optimism to farmers who often lose crops to rising waters.

The initiative has also supported 10 climate-vulnerable families in Nayapara, Sadhupara and Shaolateki villages of Ashulia to establish nutrition gardens on previously unused homestead land. The gardens now produce more than 15 varieties of seasonal vegetables, while environmentally friendly pheromone traps are being used to manage pests instead of chemical pesticides.

The success of the gardens has attracted interest from neighbouring households, encouraging wider adoption of nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart agricultural practices.

More than 160 trained youth volunteers, including an equal number of men and women, have played a central role in the programme’s implementation across Savar and Gazipur Sadar. Through 16 community campaigns, the volunteers have promoted climate resilience, sustainable food systems and improved nutrition at the grassroots level.

In February 2026, 60 volunteers received advanced Training of Trainers instruction on climate change and food systems, enabling them to develop local action plans tailored to the needs of their communities.

The project also provided technical support to farmers. In March, a GAIN technical team led by agronomist Dr Md Monir Uddin visited the demonstration sites and offered practical guidance on climate-resilient farming techniques.

A notable outcome of the initiative has been its influence on local governance. Newly established Multi-Stakeholder Platforms in Savar, Ashulia and Yarpur have incorporated nutrition and climate-resilient agriculture into their respective union parishad budgets for the 2026–27 fiscal year, marking the first time such priorities have been formally included.

Ahmed Imtiaz Jami, President of the OBHIZATRIK Foundation, said the project demonstrated the value of empowering young people to lead community change.

“These fields are proof of what happens when we stop treating young people as beneficiaries and start treating them as leaders. A farmer saving his harvest from the flood, a mother growing fifteen vegetables beside her home — these are the stories that tell us the model works,” he said.

Project stakeholders believe the initiative could serve as a model for strengthening climate resilience, improving nutrition and expanding youth participation in local development efforts across other vulnerable regions of Bangladesh.