COLOCAL Partners with Lal Sabuj Society to Conduct Community Needs Assessment to Strengthen Climate Adaptation in Patuakhali’s Erosion-Prone Areas

On May 21 and 22, the COLOCAL project, under DESM, IUB, conducted a needs assessment in the river erosion risk areas of the Bauphal and Mirzaganj upazilas in Patuakhali district. The project partnered with the local youth organization Lal Sabuj Society, whose community ties and local insight were instrumental in facilitating meaningful engagement with residents. With this assessment and the planned training workshop following it, COLOCAL aims to strengthen the climate change adaptation knowledge and capacity of communities most exposed to environmental risks.

During the assessment, the team—working closely with Lal Sabuj Society—engaged community members through group discussions and interviews to gauge their awareness of climate change and its local impacts. The assessment revealed that knowledge regarding climate change is very limited in these areas as government and non-government activities of this nature are mostly concentrated in the Kalapara upazilla of Patukhali. The conversations also revealed how communities prioritize more creative mediums like videos and games for their learning needs rather than the traditional formats, but there was also some interest in the traditional seminar format as it provides communities with a platform to voice their concerns to local leaders and administrators.

The findings from this assessment will directly inform the development of training content tailored to the community’s needs. In the coming months, the project team will return to Patuakhali to deliver a full-day workshop focused on closing the identified knowledge gaps. This participatory approach, strengthened by local partnerships, ensures that the training will be both relevant and practical, supporting local resilience through stronger, community-driven climate adaptation strategies.