Market Infrastructure Development Project in Charland Regions

Charland is land located in an active river basin that is subject to erosion and accretion. This project focuses on regions characterized by severe annual flooding and extensive river erosion in coastal and estuarine chars that are home to some of Bangladesh's poorest people.

The project is directed at people who produce primarily for the market, including farmers growing crops or raising livestock on small landholdings, fishers and fish farmers, and people who engage in non-farm enterprises such as food processing, basket-making and cloth-making.

Using a people-centred approach, the project identifies potential producer groups in char areas, strengthening their capacity and developing market and communications infrastructure to support them. The project also invests in building market facilities and farm-to-market roads, and increasing capacity for market management. In addition, it provides market traders, small business operators and producers with technical and management training, and access to credit. The project specifically promotes opportunities for women traders.