Sajida Foundation, ULAB host workshop on disaster reduction in the Sundarbans delta

Sajida Foundation, a non-profit organisation, and the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) organised a workshop on exploring ways to reduce disaster risks in the Sundarbans delta.

The workshop, organised under the ENGAGE (Eliciting Needs-based Grassroots Action through Cross-Group Engagement) project, also focused on how social resilience can be enhanced through sharing of multi-disciplinary knowledge and implementation strategies.

The workshop was organised at the Hotel Renaissance Dhaka on 12 June.

Corinne Henchoz Pignani, deputy head of cooperation, embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, who was the special guest at the event, said, "I believe the coordination among the different stakeholders in the Sundarbans and the authorities of the communities, and of the development partners on how to have a coherent, consistent and meaningful action together now is very significant."

"From data to information to knowledge, it is like an ecosystem and we use the knowledge to shape policies," said the chief guest Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, and chairman of the Standing Committee on Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at the parliament.

ENGAGE is a 3-year action research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The action research will be conducted by University of Lausanne, Switzerland, in collaboration with Sajida Foundation, ULAB, the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and the Sundarban Jana Shramajibi Manch (SJSM), India.

Imran Rahman, vice chancellor of ULAB, and Muhymin Chowdhury, director, Impact Partners, Partnerships and Communications, Sajida Foundation were also present at the event along with researchers, representatives from various NGOs, government officials, and relevant stakeholders.