Title of the Project:  Environmental Human Rights for a Just Transition: Strengthened Local CSOs Transforming Climate Hotspots into Resilient Communities (ENGAGE)

Project Implementation Period:  4 Years (01 January 2025 to 31 December 2028 

Name of donor: NETZ Partnership for Development and Justice

Project Areas:

Rajshahi District: Tanore and Godagari Upazila 
Naogaon District: Manda and Mohadevpur Upazila

Direct Project Beneficiaries: 30,710 (persons)

Total Project budget: BDT 6,12,42,520

District/ Upazila wise budget distribution: 

Rajshahi district: BDT. 1,09,72,980

Naogaon district: BDT. 1,09,72,980

Project type and goal: 

Overall objective: Enhanced CSOs independently contribute to sustainable development, human rights, democracy and good governance in Bangladesh. 
Specific objective: Active local CSOs led by women, youth and indigenous peoples sustainably protect and promote the right to a healthy, clean and safe environment of the people most vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation and advance a low-carbon and climate-resilient society.

Output 1: Strengthened capacities of EHRDs organized in CSOs and student forums from grassroots to district levels to promote, protect and advocate for the rights of women and vulnerable communities at particular risk from environmental degradation and climate change.

Output 2: Enhanced activism of the local CSOs as well as collaborative actions in partnership with LAs and educational institutions to safeguard inclusive governance preventing climate-induced rights violations and environmental harm.

Output 3: Improved cooperation of CSOs from local to national levels and with journalists to generate public discourse for influencing policies and to initiate systematic change benefitting women and vulnerable groups affected by environmental and social harm.

Project Summary:

DASCOH Foundation implemented `Environmental Human Rights for a Just Transition: Strengthened Local CSOs Transforming Climate Hotspots into Resilient Communities (ENGAGE)`. The Project Co-funded by NETZ Bangladesh and European Union. The project focuses on empowering local civil society organisations (CSOs) led by women, youth and indigenous peoples (IP) to actively advocate as independent actors for a healthy, clean and safe environment and a low-carbon, climate-resilient society. It addresses the nexus of climate impacts, environmental challenges and human rights violations (HRV) in the climate hotspots of the Barind Tract in northwest Bangladesh. The action systematically targets all three priorities under empowering grassroots CSOs of environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs), who include a focus to protect and promote the rights of women and IP to their enhanced environmental activism and adopt a conflict-sensitive human rights-based approach (HRBA) to countering often climate-induced HRV and environmental human rights violations (EHRV). It connects these CSOs to educational institutions and environmental journalists and ensures an effective policy engagement with local authorities (LAs) towards inclusive green development. 

The Project expected results include: 

a)   Securing the rights of the people most vulnerable to climate change & environmental degradation: The action fosters a conducive environment for CSOs and enhances the visibility, safety and leadership of women, youth and IP, while improving CSOs’ capacities, capabilities and inclusiveness. Union Digital Centres (UDCs) are strengthened to close the digital divide and improve access to information e.g., on disaster preparedness and climate adaptation measures and Social Safety Net Programmes (SSNP). 

b)   CSO-LA working partnerships & policy discourse: By promoting structured dialogue and collaboration with LAs, the action enables CSOs to advocate for inclusive, pro-environmental laws and policies. In addition, it creates public discourse to raise awareness and influence policies on behalf of affected communities.

c)   Enhanced monitoring and reporting: CSOs systematically monitor and report environmental harm and HRV caused by economic development that endanger coastal communities or promote unsustainable agricultural practices in dry regions, with a focus on women and marginalised communities such as IP. 

d)   Financial support to third parties: Sub-grants and capacity building support are provided to grassroots CSOs to sustain activism and future interventions.

This approach ensures that local voices are amplified, rights protected and communities empowered to lead climate-resilient lives, all while aligning with the EU’s thematic programme for CSOs and contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3, 5, 6, 13 and 16. The action also empowers women, girls and young people, promoting their participation in political, economic, social and cultural life – in synergy with the EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III (2021-2025) and the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025.