Location:
This site was located in the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh. It was adjacent to the Sunderbans, the single ever largest Mangrove Forest in the world. It was also the World Heritage declared by UNESCO. The site was 120 km away from its Divisional Headquarter of Khulna and about 400 km from the Capital city of Dhaka.

Local Host Organization
Caritas Bangladesh was a renowned national NGO working for human development and poverty reduction since 1972. It will host the CBA workshop participants for the field visit to their working area at Munshigonj and Ramzannagar Unions in Satkhira. At this site, Caritas is implementing the project “Sustainable Resources Management in the Brackish Water Areas”. Caritas Bangladesh is working on various issues such as shrimp-rice rotation culture, plant nursery, home gardening, crab fattening, apiculture, livestock/poultry, canal re-excavation, pond-re-excavation, sanitary latrine, bio-gas, pond-sand filtering, rainwater harvesting, solar energy, improved chula (stove), eco-village, vocational training, awareness raising, resource center etc.

Satkhira Unnayan Sangastha (SUS) is also hosting a sub group to visit some community based adaptation activities. These avtivities are being practiced since 2003 through RVCC project which was coordinated by CARE Bangladesh.

Climate and Environment Related Problems of the area:
Biophysical system in the coastal zone of Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to salinity, sea level rise, cyclone and tidal surges. Within the coastal zone, the Munshigang Union in the Shyamnagar Upazila under Satkhira district is facing the salinity that has affected water, soils, agriculture, vegetation, mangrove, fisheries and livelihood of the communities and their households. The locality also faces serious health risk due to increased salinity resulting in scarcity of drinking water. Cyclones with tidal surge, increased width of river and tidal levels are also damaging human settlements, homesteads, infrastructures, productive land and natural resources, which in return decrease the livelihood assets and livelihood potentials of the poor and marginal community.
The poor, marginal, women and children groups are suffering from salinity intrusion, decrease of agricultural productivity, enhanced cyclones and tidal surges. They have very limited capacity and resources to deal with shocks and fluctuation of natural systems. They are also engaged in risky jobs like fishing in the off shore areas and collecting materials from the mangrove forest for their mere survival. They are suffering due to lack of proper understanding and awareness about the emerging changes in nature, environment, climate and society. Further, they don’t have adequate disaster preparedness programme at family and community levels. In recent years, many people migrated to city due to land loss caused by erosion.

List of spots for visit in Munshigonj:

• Coastal Resource Research Centre which is locally known as Caritas Resource Centre at Kachukhali village;
• Environment child schooling programme at Mothurapur village;
• Fisherman community (locally known as jele community) and solar electrification (household level) at Mathurapur village; and
• Pond Sand Filter (PSF) for drinking water in the earthen pond at Mothurapur village .