In the north of Bangladesh on islands in the river delta, plinths are being built to protect people and livestock from floods. Since 2006, Friendship has enhanced the design of these plinths. They are now oval-shaped, with a narrow end facing south, and include a freshwater pond, water and sanitation facilities including a disablity friendly latrine, a community center cum school, vegetable gardening space for nutrition support and sheds for livestock. Each can accommodate 25 permanent residents and 120-150 temporary shelter seekers with their livestock and belongings. Friendship provides training and education to foster entrepreneurship. Each plinth has a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, with 32 plinths currently developed, capable of housing nearly 24,000 people. The construction cost is approximately €50.000 per plinth, preventing a loss of at least €375,000 in assets during emergencies.
Thanks to support from the Stichting Koepon, Friendship can enhance Bangladesh’s readiness by building 1 additional plinth. This plinth can provide permanent housing for over 115 people and their livestock, while accommodating an additional 675 people during disasters. This can protect a total of 675 people per year (at least 10,125 over the lifespan of a plinth).
This is also a nature based solution, in this plinth construction sand is used as main material and this sand is collected from the nearby river, and it supports to increase the capacity of the river and reduce the flood risk. The plinths are built with local community involvement and in collaboration with local government, with landowners donating land in exchange for space on the plinth. Situated at a height of 3 meters in the middle of the Chars, these plinths feature facilities such as schools, a freshwater pond, disability friendly latrine facility, a community center, and designated space for fish farming and other economic activities and equipped with various facilities such as schools, freshwater, and community spaces.
For more information on friendship and about their work on climate adaptation look at https://friendship.ngo/what-we-do/climate-adaptation/.
