International Fund for Agricultural Development will provide Tk 116.63 crore ($15 million) as grant to Bangladesh for improving living standards and reduce vulnerability of rural poor in five districts in Hoar basins. Economic Relations Division of the finance ministry and IFAD, a United Nations arm, on Thursday signed a financing agreement in this regard at ERD at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka.
The grant, which is given as additional grant for innovating adaptation activities in Haor Infrastructure Livelihood Improvement Project, will be spent to implement climate adaptation and livelihood protection projects covering Netrokona, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Kishorganj and Sunamganj districts.
Local Government Engineering Department is implementing HILIP project launched in 2012 and will continue up to June 2019. Now the combined cost of HILIP and CALIP projects will reach to US$ 133 million.
The livelihood protection component of the project is expected to benefit 94,000 people directly in 26 Upazilas in the five districts,
according to a press release issued by ERD.
The main outcomes expected from the project are to enhance access to markets, livelihood opportunities and social services, increase rural economic activities, enhance access to fishery resources and increase production, diversification and marketing of crops and livestock.
ERD additional secretary Mahmuda Begum signed the agreement in Dhaka earlier initialed by IFAD president Kanayo F Nwanze from the IFAD headquarters.
IFAD country programme manager Hubert Boirard and country programme officer Nicolas Syed, among others, were present at the signing ceremony.
-With New Age input
