COAST Foundation, with support from the Vitol Foundation, is implementing a project titled “Supporting the Livelihood of Fisher Folk Communities on the Bangladesh–Myanmar Border” from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2026 in three unions—Hnila, Whykhong, and Teknaf Sadar Union—of Teknaf Upazila in Cox’s Bazar district. The project has received an extension. However, the project targets (a) 1,000 individual fisher households; and (b) 100 groups drawn from these households. Its primary objective is to promote alternative income‑generating activities (IGAs) through livelihood development initiatives. The beneficiaries are among the most vulnerable fishing households, whose livelihoods were lost following the fishing ban in the Naf River since October 2017.
We conducted an impact assessment and found that the shift from fishing to land-based IGAs has stabilized food security. Approximately 42% of beneficiaries adopted goat rearing, while others engaged in poultry and cattle rearing as well as vegetable cultivation. Notably, 62% of individual IGAs and 58% of group IGAs are currently “in good condition,” generating regular income in the households. Before the project interventions, only 10% of households had savings. Today, through 100 organized groups, this rate has surged to 83%, providing a vital cushion against future shocks. At baseline, 5% of households applied climate-adaptive techniques (Sack gardening, Sarjan method, etc.). Such practices have now been adopted by 54% of households, more than a 10-fold increase in a saline-prone coastal environment. For more details, please refer to the full report.
