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The document details the environmental and social safeguard (ESS) compliance and disclosure process for the Resilient Homestead and Livelihood Support to the Vulnerable Coastal People of Bangladesh (RHL) programme. Managed by the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), the programme is classified as ESS Category B. It outlines the disclosure of the Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) and the Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (IPPF) in English and Bangla to ensure accessibility for affected populations in several coastal districts of Bangladesh.

The Resilient Homestead and Livelihood support to the vulnerable coastal people of Bangladesh (RHL) project aims to reduce the vulnerability of approximately 362,475 direct beneficiaries in seven coastal districts. With a total budget of USD 49.99 million, the project focuses on constructing 3,000 climate-resilient houses with raised plinths, establishing 50 micro-crab hatcheries to create a sustainable supply chain, and promoting goat and sheep rearing in slatted houses. The initiative specifically targets women and ultra-poor households to enhance food security and reduce urban migration caused by sea-level rise and salinity intrusion.

The RHL project targets 362,475 direct beneficiaries in the coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, and Cox’s Bazar. It focuses on three primary outcomes: reducing asset and life loss through the construction of 3,000 climate-resilient houses with raised plinths; enhancing livelihood resilience by promoting salinity-tolerant vegetable cultivation, goat/sheep rearing in slatted houses, and the establishment of a sustainable, hatchery-based crab supply chain; and improving local climate planning through the formation of 3,200 Climate Change Adaptation Groups (CCAGs). The project is implemented by the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) as both the Accredited Entity and Executing Entity, utilizing a blend of GCF grants and PKSF loans.

Based on a July 2022 survey of approximately 1,200 households in Cox’s Bazar, the report finds that while public school attendance in the Bangladeshi host community increased after the pandemic, there was a dramatic 30% drop in attendance at NGO learning centres for female Rohingya youths over age 12. The decline for refugee girls is attributed to family obligations, marriage, and a deteriorating security situation in the camps, whereas male refugee dropouts are more frequently linked to the need for income-generating work.

The document examines the systemic marginalization of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, highlighting how the denial of formal education and legal employment pushes refugees toward desperate survival measures, including drug trafficking and hazardous migration. It critiques the Bangladeshi government's restrictive policies and the forced relocation to Bhasan Char, while calling for an inclusive, negotiated solution involving Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the refugees themselves.

The document examines the transition of Bangladesh's disaster management from a reactive model to a proactive, risk-reduction framework through the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP). It details the vulnerabilities of Bangladesh to cyclones, floods, and climate change, and evaluates the institutional mechanisms and specific outputs of CDMP Phase I (2004-2009). Key achievements include the creation of the Climate Change Cell and the Disaster Management Information Centre, though the report notes challenges such as high civil service turnover and the need to mainstream risk reduction beyond a single ministry.