ARCAB

What is ARCAB?

ARCAB is a long-term action research programme especially focused on climate associated adaptation practices in five different ecosystems in Bangladesh which will follow a community based approach. Livelihood depends mostly on ecosystem goods and services. These ecosystems are already vulnerable to floods, salinity, tidal inundation, cyclones and drought. Though ARCAB is being carried out in Bangladesh, it is both a national and international initiative.Many organisations have already started adaptation to climate change activities at various levels, including at community levels. However, there is as yet no clearly agreed framework for what constitutes community based adaptation. ARCAB intends to help develop such a framework and methodology that could be used by all concerned organisations doing community based adaptation.

ARCAB features

The programme consists of adaptation interventions taken by the Action Partners (AP) in vulnerable communities located in five major ecosystems in 18 different sites (north-western, north-eastern, southern coastal part, Chittagong hill tracts, and central Ganges-Brahmaputra floodplain) in Bangladesh. The unique features of ARCAB are:

• ARCAB involves nine INGOs in a consortium that is interactive with national and international partners
• Finding out adaptation methods from the people of the vulnerable ecosystems
• Sharing adaptation methods within similar ecosystem zones both at national and international scale
• Researching on rural-urban linkages and the effects of climate change on poverty trap, livelihood, migration, water and sanitation, health etc.
• Funding and capacitating individual researchers in Bangladesh to produce scientific knowledge on community based adaptation

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: To carry out action research into community based adaptation knowledge.

• Develop deeper knowledge and understanding or risks and vulnerabilities
• What does adaptation mean and which adaptations are required at community level
• Build a set of indicators to measure the effectiveness of adaptation activities
• Build a methodology of participatory monitoring and evaluation for CBA

Goal 2: To develop how to disseminate adaptation based knowledge to the communities with similar ecosystems.

• Develop methods for spreading knowledge both at national and international levels
• Create an information hub which will be easily accessible and effective for communities, organisations both nationally and internationally
• Provide advocacy based knowledge generated by ARCAB