Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
EXPLORATORY
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Our challenge is that many of our small islander's specially the vulnerable community are experiencing uncertainty of lives and livelihood due to climate change and natural hazards every year. Along with this many of the coastal islanders are in threat of joblessness and stress due to the sea level rise. But this coastal community has unseen potential to cope up with the challenges and look for alternative livelihood options.
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
Bangladesh’s coastal regions have long been vulnerable to natural disasters due to their geographical location. The country’s 710 km coastline is frequently impacted by cyclones, storm surges, and flooding. Historical records show devastating cyclones, such as those in 1970 and 1988, 1988, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Over the decades, the increasing frequency and intensity of these disasters have been linked to climate change, rising sea levels, and degraded natural defenses like mangrove forests. The coastal regions of Bangladesh face a persistent cycle of disasters, including cyclones (e.g., Cyclone Amphan in 2020), tidal floods, and saltwater intrusion. While disaster preparedness has improved over the years with better early warning systems and cyclone shelters, challenges remain in ensuring resilience. Many embankments are breached annually, displacing thousands. The salinization of agricultural land has reduced crop yields, while coastal erosion destroys homes and infrastructure. Data from Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016 says 24.1% of households in the river char areas and 26% of households in the coastal char lands earn less than Tk. 7,000 monthly, while the national figure stands at 22.6%. People of the island generally remains underprivileged as they lack alternative livelihoods and fall under extreme poverty due to sudden natural calamities
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) showed that Between 1980 and 2020, Bangladesh experienced over 200 cyclones, with an increasing trend in both frequency and intensity. Recent examples include Cyclone Sidr (2007), which caused over 3,000 fatalities, and Cyclone Amphan (2020), which resulted in damages exceeding $13 billion (USD). Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said that over 50% of coastal land in Bangladesh is affected by saltwater intrusion, reducing agricultural productivity by 15-20% annually. and crop yields for staples like rice have declined significantly in saline-prone areas, contributing to food insecurity for millions. However, it is a common phenomenon that the char dwellers always fight with the hunger, poverty, illiteracy, less farm productivity, climatic disaster, etc. Island people are poor, illiterate and deprived of employment opportunities and health facilities. According to World Bank, nearly 12 million people live in poverty in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. The existing fearful living of char dwellers and livelihood conditions, for instance, vulnerabilities arising from natural disasters such as flood, erosion, storm, cyclone, tidal surge; poverty, which is 2.7 times higher than the national average, and its consequent malnutrition; illiteracy; inadequate education, health and sanitation services; and limited rights to, if not absence of, land and livelihood resources, leave them in a never ending fight for survival. The means for improving upon them still remains ambiguous.[4]
Sources: 3. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2016/06/24/climate-change-poses-urgent-threat-to-poor-of-coastal-bangladesh
4. https://www.thedailystar.net/daily-star-books/news/invaluable-resource-char-dwellers-deltaic-bangladesh-3014251
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
The nation is enhanced by unparalleled natural beauty and a wildlife sanctuary amidst the little islands. However, it is surprising that these islands' potential is still hidden and that the islanders are not benefiting from it. The unprecedented environmental shock and limited opportunities for alternative livelihoods have put their lives in jeopardy. They don't have any specific business to support their family, except than farming and fishing. Usually, they barely make ends meet. Furthermore, due to their remoteness and inadequate infrastructure, the small island regions with their many issues are unable to participate in the advancement of global growth, leaving their economies in the dark. Given how serious these issues are, it is
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
The AccLab has strong ties to the public and commercial sectors, as well as other UNDP initiatives that are actively working on small island sustainable development. Because of its special location, the lab can act as a link between various organizations by creating a framework for multi-layered collaboration. Nonetheless, the Lab has previously focused on informal economy and alternative livelihood projects that combine Bangladeshi coastal regions' blue tourism. We will therefore be able to use the lessons learnt in small islands thanks to the extensive experience. Supporting our cooperative strategy in tiny islands shows a dedication to poverty alleviation and sustainable development, blue-tourism promotion, capacity building, and the promotion of local ownership and responsible governance for the long-term success of the region.
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
Exploring sustainable pearl culture to empower communities and protect marine ecosystems! Tackling challenges in technology, climate resilience, and equitable practices to unlock the potential of pearls as a driver for economic and environmental progress. #SustainablePearls
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
1. Department of Agriculture and Livestock
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
1. Department of Agriculture and Livestock: Shares expertise on alternative livelihoods to diversify income sources for communities engaged in pearl culture.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
2. Upazilla Parishad of Kuakata
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
2. Upazilla Parishad of Kuakata: Coordinates between stakeholders, ensures compliance with local regulations, and supports awareness programs within the community.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
3. Department of Fisheries
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
3. Department of Fisheries: Offers expertise in marine resource management, conducts research on suitable aquatic environments for pearl farming, and promotes best practices for ecological balance and economic sustainability.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
1. How can the pearl culture potentials of small island be looked up to bring sustainable development?
2. How can sustainable pearl culture generate alternative livelihood opportunities for the island people?
3. How to engage in consultations with various stakeholders, including government bodies, local government authorities, non-governmental organizations, and community representatives, in order to identify the challenges of the small islands?
4. How can the islanders be included in the pearl culture for alternative livelihoods through community approach?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Sense, Explore, Test
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
These tools will be used to understand both the qualitative and quantitative context, challenges, partners demand, and inclusive solutions to the problem identified. These tools will add value to our learning questions by identifying the need of the local people, their culture, the partners, their nature, sources of resources, making connections and analysing the current context.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
We don't yet have precise information about the diverse committees that are in place on many islands for different purposes. Additionally, there are data gaps in determining the precise number of young people without jobs as well as the potential of tourism to improve a lot of the islands. Additionally, we require specific visitor data from multiple sources that offer deviations that make it difficult to map effective solutions. As a result, the relevant data options will provide us with relevant data right away.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
If we can connect the relevant partners and local communities of the island through this leaning cycle with our UNDP projects and interventions, there are possibility of scaling and growth of this challenge by bringing sustainable solutions which are beneficial to the vulnerable community and the climate affected people. Through this growth phase the stakeholders including local government, community people, informal workers, s, youth community, and poorest women might be the champions in our country.
END OF ACTION LEARNING PLAN: Thank you! The form saves automatically and your submission has been recorded. You may now exit this window.
2Zero hunger
9Industry, innovation and infrastructure
13Climate action
14Life below water
