The monsoon season in the Ganges/Brahmaputra river basin, has always led to flooding. Oxfam continues to work here, and in the surrounding tributary flood areas, supporting some of the most vulnerable communities. Helping people to protect themselves in emergencies and reduce the impact of flooding on their livelihoods, especially vital in the face of climate change.

Project aims

The overall aim of the projects is to make the river basin areas safer and more productive, creating ‘disaster-resilient communities’. In Bangladesh it also provides an opportunity to improve the status of rural communities, and promote women’s equality.

This year the project will:

• Train volunteers to reduce the risk of disaster in their communities, and provide them with supplies and equipment to assist in emergency response
• Raise homesteads above potential flood levels, build emergency shelters and flood-proof stores, and secure the surrounding riverbanks
• Install flood-proof wells and latrines in order to improve public health in the communities
• Support vulnerable farmers to keep their livelihoods secure from disasters, through the provision of training, livestock and seeds
• Support farmers to develop new income generating activities such as fish-farming and rickshaw taxis.

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