Location:
This site is located in the southwest coastal region and near second Sea port (Mongla) of Bangladesh. It is adjacent to the Sunderbans, the single ever largest Mangrove Forest in the world, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site in Bangladesh. The site is 70 km away from its Divisional Headquarter of Khulna and about 350 km from the Capital city Dhaka (see location map).

Local Host Organization
Rupantar, a renowned national NGO, is working in the Southwestern region on human development and poverty reduction since 1972. It will host the CBA workshop participants for the field visit to their working area at Chilla and Chadpai Unions. At this site, Rupantar in association with BCAS, is implementing the projects on drinking water and community adaptation to climate change in coastal villages.

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 Chilla and Chandpai Union in the Mongla Upazila under Bagherhat district are facing increasing salinity in both ground and surface water. This has affected fresh water sources for drinking and domestic uses, soils fertility and productivity, agriculture, vegetation, mangrove, fisheries and livelihoods of the communities. Recently roads Mongla town and coastal land are flooded during high tide. The locality also faces water logging. The locality also faces serious health risk due to increased salinity resulting in scarcity of drinking water. Local people informed that cyclones with tidal surge, increase width of river and tidal levels are also damaging human settlements, homesteads, infrastructures, productive land and natural resources, which in return decreases the livelihoods assets and livelihood potentials of the poor and marginal community.
The poor, marginal, women and children groups are the worst suffers 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. Further, they don’t have adequate disaster preparedness at family and community levels. Recent years, many people migrated from their original homestead due to loss of land by erosion.
List of spots for visit in Mongla:

• Observe the Pasur River bank erosion affected sites in Chilla, Amtala and Kalatala Villages in Chilla Union and South Kainmary villages in Chadpai Union.
• Community based Rainwater Harvesting system and homestead based vegetable cultivation at Kalatala Villag
• Salinity affected traditional drinking water sources at Gabbunia Village.
• Household based rainwater harvesting system and other traditional adaptation techniques (like portable cooking stove, housebuilding etc.) at Chilla and Kalatala villages.
• Sources of sweet water in the Mangrove Forest at Karomjal a site of Sundarban.
• School based Rainwater Harvesting and storage for drinking purpose at Mongla Urban area.