Climate Resilience Collective Bay of Bengal

Climate Resilience Collective (CRC) is a Multi partner initiative piloting in Sub Artic-Yukon Region of Canada (North) and Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh (South). CRC initiative is focused to promote and build leadership and capacity of local youth to take collective climate action, while promoting north south cross learning and knowledge exchange.

The Objective of the Collective:

  • To build leadership and capacity for the youth to take collective action.
  • Fostering synergies between North and South.
  • Identify and fill gaps related to financing and collaboration

For the Bay of Benga(BoB) l Pilot being implemented by ICCCAD

YCL: Youth Climate Lab(YCL) is a Canada-based, global non-profit organization that accelerates youth-led climate policy, projects, and businesses.

ICCCAD: International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) is a think tank based in Bangladesh, it is a leading research and capacity building organization working on climate change, environment, and development.

Duration of the BoB Pilot Program: Sept 2020- till Dec 2021

Funded by CJRF

Overall objective of the Pilot:

The CRC aims to amplify voices and solutions from the frontlines by:

  • Building leadership and capacity for youth to take collective action through policy and advocacy.
  • Fostering synergies between North and South on climate justice, climate finance; and,
  • Identifying and filling gaps related to financing and collaboration.

Who are part of the Pilot

Back in 2021, 24 youth from two distinct, and hard-hit by climate change regions – the Bay of Bengal (across Bangladesh), and the sub-Arctic (across the Yukon Region, Canada) have started to participate in YCL’s Climate Resilience Collective.

In the Bay of Bengal, the key partner is the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University Bangladesh (IUB).

In the sub-Arctic, the key partners include the Assembly of First Nations, Yukon Region, and The Council of Yukon First Nations. These partners are facilitating the Yukon First Nations Climate Action Fellowship, a 20-month project on youth-driven climate action. The Fellowship was recognized and encouraged by Yukon leadership in February 2020, following a gathering of youth who created a Youth Climate Declaration. The Declaration was then endorsed by Leadership as the path to follow in creating a Yukon First Nations Climate Vision & Action Plan.

How ICCCAD is Supporting the CRC in capacitating Local youths:

The CRC has been working with 10 local youth associates from Bay of Bengal to build on the resources; knowledge; support; and pathways needed to foster meaningful and lasting community engagement during COVID-19, and across cultures, regions, and issues. Each of these 10 associates comes from a climate-vulnerable area of Bangladesh starting from.

  • Rangpur (Drought prone region)
  • Sylhet (Flood prone region)
  • Khulna (Coastal Flood and Cyclone prone region, and
  • Chittagong (Landslide susceptible region with prolonged heavy rain)

WHAT WE have done so Far

ICCCAD, and YCL have been collaboratively working on the CRC pilot since September 2020 to build a network with youth climate leaders. The focus of the pilot has been on Capacity Building on; Climate Change; Adaptation; Policy; Advocacy; and Environmental justice. The essence of our design has been to promote leadership and with the goal to use local community youths in an effective agent of change.

Using the knowledge gained from the training interventions and the modules developed on the themes of (i)Climate Change (ii) Policy (iii) Adaptation (iv) Youth Engagement and Responsibility (v) Climate Risk and (vi) Project development and management the 10 associates were equipped with knowledge and resources to carry out their individual local project in alignment with their communities existing climate problems. Here they are trying to execute- How to implement a local project in their community, raise awareness and enhance their community climate resilience.

By going completely virtual (due to the ongoing pandemic and nationwide lockdowns) the training workshop modality we were able to build connections between 10 individuals across the country, where each brought in their own sets of experiences and learnings on the table.

Furthermore, by Promoting Bilingual Conversations: the program has been inclusive and made the youths comfortable with the process. By default, this process has enabled the associates to participate in the program and feel supported.

Resources from the Pilot:

  1. Mid Year Report
  2. Audio Blog: In Conversation with our Climate Resilience Collective Regional Community Coordinators
  3. CRC Audio Blog: Debriefing Cyclone Yaas
  4. Climate Tribune Articles by Associates: