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ChristianAid Bangladesh: Program on Urban

DevelopmentBritish Academy Workshop on

Cities, Corporates and Communities: Social Responsibilities for Sustainable Cities

Indian Institute of Science, BangaloreNovember 24-25, 2016

Shakeb NabiCountry Director, Christian Aid Bangladesh

snabi@christian-aid.org

Bangladesh: The Context

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The ContextAmong top five climate vulnerable countries (IPCC): The new disasters6th largest density of population in the worldPopulation below poverty line: 26.5%. Poverty increasing in terms of numbersExtreme poor: 18% (World Bank)HDI: 142 among 187 (HDI Report)GINI Co-efficient: 32.12 (2010), 25.88 (1983), 33.14 (2000) world Bank). High but stable since the last 10 years. Recently declared as a middle income country. Aspiring to be a developed country by 2041

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The ContextPer Capita Income: $ 923 (BBS, 2014)Average per capita education: 5.1 years (World Bank)Gender development index: 107th Poverty pockets (urban, coastal and river basin)Participation in economy: Male (83%), Female (59%)Population 162 million: 8th most populous country

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The ContextUrbanization: 40% of the population in Dhaka in urban slumsCorruption Perception Index (CPI): 136th among 177: TIRemittance: 17.3 percentage of the Gross National Income. $ 14 billion (2013)Employment by sectors: agriculture – 50%, Industry - 30%, Service - 10%By 2030 more than half the population will be in Urban areas (Hossain, 2011)

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Context: DhakaOne of the megacities: Population around 17 millionHyper-cities with more than 20 million population One of the fastest growing cities in the world 2.2 million (1975), 12.3 million (2000), 17 Miilion (2016). Project around 25 million in 2025. Ten times during the last 50 years whereas Bangladesh overall thrice during the last 50 years13943 slums across Bangladesh, 3399 in Dhaka, (BBS, 2015)60% of the urban population live in slums in Bangladesh (HDR South Asia, 2014)GINI Co-efficient: Dhaka is 37, Delhi 33

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48% of the population of Dhaka below poverty line and 32% hard core poverty line (Nahiduzzaman, 2006)40% of the national urban population in Dhaka (Ahsan et al, 2010)Slums and squatters occupy only 5.1 % of the Dhaka land area but host to around 40% of the population (CUS, 2006)Net attendance for secondary education Bangladesh 49% while Dhaka slums 18% (UNICEF, 2010)Urban Population 5% in 1971 to 27% in 2007 (UNICEF 2010)Export revenue: garment (80%)

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Reason for Urban Population Growth

Concentration of wealth and employment opportunities in the urban areasIncreased pressure on agriculture land and land fragmentationDisplacement of people due to the impact of climate change (salinity, loss of land by river erosion)Migration as a strategy to escape from poverty and vulnerabilityPeople on an average living on the river islands are displaced atleast 7 times during their life cycleMigration: The women goes to the garment factories and the men to the brick kilnsUrban periphery as a dumping ground for urban poor

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Source: EIU Livability Index 2015 (Dhaka just above Syria)

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SINCE 1972Christian Aid has been working in Bangladesh through partnersIn 2000, registered in Bangladesh >> direct presence

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27 most vulnerable districts

Southern coastal region

North-west flood areas

Haor (wetland)

Central flood areas

WHERE WE WORK

Around 10 funding partners

Around 25 implementing agency or local partners

Establishing Entitlement

Stre

ngth

enin

g Li

velih

oods

Diversifying

Livelihoods

Social Protection

Climate Change Adaptation

Access to Markets

Advocacy

Empowering

Community

PVCA

Programme Intervention Framework

Inclusion and Intersectionality

Our Target CommunityPeople living in urban peripheriesPeople living in urban slums: Non notified: InvisibleIdentity; entitlements; social safety net programs; basic servicesPeople who are intersections between economic status, Caste and Gender: DalitsLack of social network/social & political capital

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Title of the ActionPromoting enhanced participation and empowerment of Dalit communities in Bangladesh with an evidence base for realization of Dalit Human Rights and Entitlements

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Problem StatementDalits suffer from several structural development impediments which keep them in the cycle of poverty and remains excluded from their fundamental socio-economic and democratic rights and entitlements. The social and economic exclusion on the basis of social identities is prevalent in many parts of Bangladesh and it portrays the state and non-state actors’ failure to take affirmative actions to ensure equality and non-discrimination.Lack of clear understanding on the demographic and socio-economic profiles of Dalits

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Definition‘Dalits’: Means socially, economically and culturally excluded and downtrodden and outcaste groups. "Discrimination Based on Work and Descent": Distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on inherited status such as caste, including present or ancestral occupation, family, community or social origin, name, birth place, place of residence, dialect and accent that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, or any other field of public life. This type of discrimination is typically associated with the notion of purity and pollution and practices of untouchability, and is deeply rooted in societies and cultures where this discrimination is practiced.

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Overall ObjectiveTo establish and strengthen the rights and entitlements of Dalit communities through identification, recognition, promotion and protection

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Specific ObjectivesTo create an evidence base on socio-economic and demographic features for the Dalit populationTo enhance the lawful demand of Dalit communities through engagement of civil society, government and media to support them in ensuring their social, economic and democratic rights as recommended in the Universal Periodic Review of Bangladesh.To establish and strengthen community based organizations, Dalit Human Rights Defenders to help meet the unmet basic needs and entitlements of Dalit communities.To strengthen the capacities and evolve civil society mechanisms for recognition, security and protection of Dalit communities, CBOs, DHRDs and networks

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Key Result AreasA demographic and socio-economic baseline document for the Dalit population endorsed by government line ministries, human rights commission, CSOs and NGOs in BangladeshGovernment, Civil society, mass media, think-tanks and general people are aware of the significance of Dalit human rightsImproved leadership and human rights defending capacity among female and male members of Dalit communities in the targeted areasIncreased participation of Dalit communities in decision making processes through Community Based Organizations and networksSkills and EmploymentCapture lessons learnt from project implementation and share good practices among civil society, policy makers, media and relavant stakeholders

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Key IndicatorsSupport for the draft anti-discrimination ActPositive actions by national and local governments to uphold the rights and entitlements of Dalit communitiesIncreased budgetary allocations for the welfare of Dalit CommunitiesAt least 125 incidences of Dalit Human rights violation in Bangladesh profiled at national levelLivelihoods expansion/diversification through skills and employment

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Corporate Social ResponsibilityBangladesh is one of the major cloth manufacturing hubAround 3.5 million women are employed in garment sectorTotal around 5 millionMost of the brands have their SCR wings (C&A, H&M, George)Inclination to work with the civil society organization. More after the Rana Plaza TragedyMismatch of mandate: Tangible/countable/handouts V/s RBA, governance issues. Not much inclined to move out of their catchment area and catchment communityCSR Act on the anvil. Similar to IndiaCorporates have initiated the CSR platformNGOs rightly placed to act as an interface between the community and the corpoerates

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Thank YOU

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