Bangladesh – Sustainable development and disasters

20 Jun 2012 Humanitarian crises, Health and nutrition, Water,...Bangladesh

An association of professionnal photographers: Image of dignity, visited Terre des hommes projects in Bangladesh. Here are 5 videos they made which retrace the difficulties in this area of intervention. They illustrate Tdh’s projects on disaster risk reduction, water and sanitation programs, elevated gardens (Keyhole gardens), and also the fight against malnutrition.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) approach

Bangladesh is a country particularly exposed to natural disasters and to the effects of the global warming: flooding, cyclones, heavy monsoon season… These can have severe consequences as the country has one of the highest population density and with 30% of the country that can be flooded in the rainy season. In all its projects, Terre des hommes includes the preparation of local communities to deal with these disasters and minimize their impact. It can of course consist in an emergency response to a disaster but it is more based on a long term and holistic vision of the issue.

Tdh’s projects in Bangladesh

Terre des hommes projects in Bangladesh are based on a holistic approach, which is very specific to the Swiss organisation. The holistic approach considers the whole cycle of life: from antenatal care and better supervision of the mother and the baby to a better access to health care for mothers and children.

Water and sanitation program (WASH)

Unsafe drinking water and malnutrition are clearly linked. Unsafe drinking water can cause diarrhoea and other diseases weakening especially small children. Terre des hommes has implemented adapted solutions in the different areas where the NGO is present.

Keyhole Garden, a pilot project

The Keyhole garden was originally developed by African farmers to preserve their crops from the wind and the sand. Locally adapted in Bangladesh in Afzal’s vegetables garden with the help of Terre des hommes staff, the Keyhole garden can also protect the crops from the heavy monsoon rain and the salt water brought by flooding and storms. These literally destroy the crops. Widely adopted, it could help in preventing malnutrition by preserving the farmer’s crops.

The Specialized Nutrition Unit in Kurigram

Terre des hommes has settled a Specialized Nutrition Unit (SNU) in Kurigram to give an appropriate response to the issue of malnutrition in the area. In the target areas, more than 20% of children suffer from acute severe malnutrition, which is above the emergency level set by the WHO.