Harnessing the power of the people in Bangladesh's cities to reduce disaster risks
Devolve decision making
Address structural inequalities
Invest in local capabilities
Collaborative action and investment
Organization: Save the Children
As Bangladesh’s urban hubs—Dhaka, Chattogram, and Savar—grapple with rapid urbanization, climate migration, and disaster risks, marginalized communities face heightened vulnerabilities. Recognizing these challenges, Save the Children in Bangladesh launched the PROYASH project to strengthen disaster preparedness, enhance urban resilience, and improve school safety through locally led adaptation (LLA) strategies.
By devolving decision-making, investing in local capabilities, fostering collaborative action, and ensuring transparency and accountability, PROYASH has empowered communities to lead their own climate resilience efforts.
Community-Led Disaster Risk Reduction
In Dhaka North City Corporation, Chattogram City Corporation, and Savar Municipality, PROYASH mobilized urban volunteer groups, women’s groups, and youth organizations to collaborate with Ward Disaster Management Committees. These community-driven groups conducted local risk assessments and played a central role in designing and implementing disaster preparedness plans.
The project ensured participation of women and children in local-level risk assessment and planning. At the same time, it built a strong network between communities, governments, civil society organizations, academia, and research institutions to ensure a collective effort in effective urban risk management.
Mobilizing Urban Community Volunteers
Between 2018 and 2023, PROYASH trained and mobilized 745 Urban Community Volunteers across Dhaka, Chattogram, and Savar. These volunteers were trained in firefighting, search and rescue, emergency evacuation, and first aid, significantly strengthening community-level emergency response capacity.
Beyond immediate disaster response, these volunteers took on key roles in awareness campaigns and local governance, working alongside Ward Councilors, city corporations, and district administrations. Their critical role became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they:
Raised mass awareness on public health measures.
Distributed essential supplies and medical aid.
Assisted in dead body management and patient transport.
Provided support for vaccination drives.
Advocating for Safer Schools
Children and youth were central to PROYASH’s vision, with 30 schools actively participating in risk reduction efforts. Students learned about:
Waste management at schools.
Safe drinking water access.
COVID-19 safety measures.
Earthquake and fire safety preparedness.
Through student-led campaigns—including No Plastic campaigns, fire safety drills, and clean air initiatives—PROYASH engaged teachers, students, and school authorities in sustainable risk reduction.
In a landmark achievement, PROYASH worked with the Directorate of National Education to incorporate school safety management into national guidelines. The project revised the National Academy for Educational Management’s Teachers’ Training Curriculum, integrating disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and education in emergencies. A comprehensive Training of Trainers (ToT) program was also conducted for national education staff.
“The project took actions to make schools safer for children and advocated for integrating school safety management at the national level,” Simon Rahman emphasized.
Innovating for Sustainability: Waste Management and Urban Cleanliness
Beyond disaster preparedness, PROYASH tackled systemic urban issues such as waste management. The project piloted community-based waste management models, later adopted by city corporations for larger-scale implementation.
In Nabinagar Colony, Chattogram, where open dumping sites and waterlogging posed major public health risks, PROYASH facilitated a community-led waste management system. Today, Nabinagar serves as a model for sustainable urban sanitation.
Resident Sayed Mehedi Hasan reflects: “It is our responsibility to create awareness among children about keeping this area clean and green. We do not want this place to be like it used to be. Teaching these good habits to children is essential to sustaining our efforts.”
Collaboration was a cornerstone of PROYASH’s success. The project forged formal partnerships with:
Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Bangladesh Institute of Planners.
Local city authorities and Ward Disaster Management Committees.
The Department of Disaster Management and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
We established formal partnerships with three city authorities to design a joint implementation plan for the PROYASH project. Additionally, we collaborated with national stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, and multistakeholder platforms such as the Bangladesh Alliance of Youth and Urban INGO Forum.
A Lasting Legacy: PROYASH’s Enduring Impact
The achievements of PROYASH highlight the power of locally led adaptation. By empowering communities, fostering inclusive decision-making, and embedding resilience in urban governance, PROYASH has left a lasting mark on Bangladesh’s urban resilience landscape.
Though the PROYASH project has formally concluded, it continues to provide a replicable model for future urban resilience projects. Its impact lives on in the strengthened disaster response networks, safer schools, and cleaner cities that communities have built from the ground up—a true testament to the power of locally driven resilience efforts.
