Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society (LEDARS), is a non-profit and non-political organization that has been working for social, economical and environmental development of the poor and marginal people of the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh since 1996. The previous name of LEDARS was Gana Unnayan Shangstha (GUS). The name has been changed in 2007 to address the government regulation and to avoid the duplication of name in the NGO Affairs Bureau. When unplanned shrimp cultivation, river erosion and various natural disasters compelled the coastal people to be migrated in the urban areas during the early 1990s, the organization emerged from a local club to a development organization to stand beside the vulnerable people to support their livelihood security and establish their rights. As defined, the organization works with landless, unemployed male & female, coastal fishermen and the Sundarbans resource users groups in general to address their problems related to environmental changes and climate change impacts.
LEDARS initiated a CBO network and involved Union Parishads to create a movement in 2001 to protect the coastal environment and mangrove biodiversity. The organization first highlighted the widows of the tiger killed males in the Sundarbans, who are the most vulnerable community in the Sundarbans impact zones. In order to create a wider constituency to address the whole coastal issues, LEDARS tries to build alliances with the like minded and similar organizations.
VISION: Contribute poverty reduction by creating access of the poor & marginal public resources through effective community based management.
MISSION: Devise people with appropriate methods to raise voce for establishing basic and human rights in order to ensure livelihood security of the most vulnerable and socially excluded segment of the population.
Current Programme Activities of LEDARS:
Theme-1: Environmental Change and Livelihood Security
A. Awareness Raising on Climate Change impacts and adaptation
B. Community based adaptation to Climate Change in southwest coastal region of Bangladesh
C. Climate Change Communication and Adaptation through demonstration, research and knowledge management through a Centre
D. Campaign for Prevention of Saline Water in Agriculture Land in Southwest Coastal Area
E. Promoting Science Education in Secondary School
Theme: 2. Water and Sanitation
A. Providing Water Education and Supports to the Community
B. Cyclone SIDR rehabilitation Project with PSF.
C. Piloting of Bio-Sand Filter in Coastal area
Theme: 3. Human Rights and Good Governance:
A. Promoting Agricultural Labour Rights Initiatives
B. Rights Alliance in the southwest coastal region
C. Advocacy to create access on public services of the Tiger Victims Widows in Sundarbans
D. Social Monitoring of Government’s Safety Net Program
Theme: 4. Livelihood Security Program
A. Alternative Livelihood Program (ALP) through economic activities;
B. Advancing Women Economic Empowerment of the Tiger victims widows in the Sundarbans impact zone.
C. Ensure livelihood security of the tiger victims widows in the Sundarbans impact zone.
Theme: 5. Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response
A. Disaster Risk Reduction
a. Empowering adolescent girls for doing DRR
b. DRR through empowering community with disaster resistant housing, water and sanitation technology
c. Alter livelihood adaptation to climate change impacts for widows of tiger victims
B. Emergency response and recovery programme
a. Rehabilitation Program with Pond Sand Filters (PSF)
b. AILA Emergency response program
c. Medical support to the AILA affected people
d. Emergency cyclone response 2009
e. Empowering adolescent girls of protecting in emergency
f. Social monitoring for the AILA livelihood recovery project
g. Emergency water supply and reactivate water technologies
h. Early Recovery Program of AILA
Membership and Partnerships:
LEDARS established funding and technical partnership with the following organizations over the last years. These are:
i) Action Aid Bangladesh
ii) Bangladesh Freedom Foundation (BFF)
iii) Climate Action Network, SouthAsia
iv) Climate Change Development Forum (CCDF)
v) Save the Children, Australia
vi) OXFAM-GB (CSRL)
vii) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
viii) Centre For Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST)
ix) Niagara Volunteer for Bangladesh
x) Asia Arsenic Network
xi) Freshwater Action Network
xii) International Women Health Coalition
xiii) Global Water Partnership
xiv) Bangladesh Water Partnership
xv) Japan Water Partnership
xvi) Water Integrity Network
xvii) Asia Pacific Water Forum
Contact Parson:
Mohon Kumar Mondal, Executive Director,
Village: Munshigonj, Post Office: Kadamtala,
Upazila Shyamnagar, District: Satkhira, Post Code: 9455, Bangladesh.
Telephone: +8801713462821, +8801712030338
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.ledars.org
BFF Support : Promoting Science Education in Secondary School (PSE)
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|