International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander announced today that a new phase of a ground breaking project in Bangladesh to fight poverty and combat climate change will start in April.
Chars Livelihoods Programme
Speaking at a Bengali community event in East London, Mr Alexander said the next phase of the Chars Livelihoods Programme will help more than one million of the poorest Bangladeshis to escape extreme poverty and adapt their homes for the impact of climate change.
Douglas Alexander said:
"Our new project will help more than one million people in Bangladesh to escape extreme poverty.
"The Chars project has already made an enormous difference to some of the poorest people in Bangladesh. In the last few years, thousands of homes have been raised above the rising flood levels and local people have received better education, health and veterinary services."
Starting in April this year, The Department for International Development will raise thousands more homes above the flood level over the next six years through a £70 million grant.
Over the next six years, UKaid will:
Raise 100,000 more homes above flood danger levels and build wells and latrines.
Deliver this through a 'cash for work' scheme that will give local people almost six million days of paid employment.
Help provide livestock, seeds and saplings for the families living in the chars to ensure that they can make a decent living and improve their nutrition.
The first phase of the project helped 700,000 people escape extreme poverty, raising more than 80,000 homesteads above the flood level. Livestock, seeds and other items were provided to almost 55,000 families in low-lying, flood-prone areas. Within two years, most households who participated in the programme saw their household income doubled.
The remote Chars river islands are home to 2.5 million people in the Jamuna and Padma rivers in the North West of Bangladesh. They are amongst the poorest in the country, living on the equivalent of 15 pence a day.
Nutrition
Half of char children under-five have stunted growth caused by malnutrition. Last week, Douglas Alexander also launched DFID's nutrition strategy - this will address the devastating impact that malnutrition has on life-expectancy, health and long-term productivity and will have the direct impact on the life chances of 12 million children globally by 2015.
The strategy will focus on the six countries that are home to half of all the under nourished children under five in the world - Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
English in Action
Mr Alexander also announced that a new English language programme will be increasing employment potential for 25 million Bangladeshis, by strengthening their English language skills and ultimately being in a stronger position to contribute to Bangladesh's continuing economic development.
English in Action, an English language programme funded by UKaid, is enabling children, young people and adults in Bangladesh to learn English through innovative teaching methods, including radio, television, internet, MP3 players and mobile phones.
Since its launch last November, more than one million people have used the BBC Janala mobile service, one of the projects supported under English in Action, which gives regular low-cost English language lessons on mobile phones. In addition, five million children and young people tuned into the new entertainment show 'BBC Buzz', aired every week on a local TV channel.