The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)

Basic Information

The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) is a leading research and capacity-building organization working on climate change and development in Bangladesh. ICCCAD aims to develop a world-class institution closely related to local experience, knowledge, and research in the global south and beyond.

Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Established: 2009

Mission

To gain and distribute knowledge on climate change, specifically adaptation, and thereby help people adapt to climate change with a focus on the global South, least developed countries (LDCs), and beyond.

Summary of Key Activities

• Activity 1: Advocacy and Networking: National and Divisional Platforms on Locally Led Adaptation (NPLLA and DPLLA)
• Activity 2: Research on LLA Accountability and Transparency: 360 Accountability Scorecard on Locally Led Adaptation with IIED and Partners
• Activity 3: Research: Assessing Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) approach of the Climate Change Resilience Project (CCRP) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT)
• Activity 4: Research and Technical Support: Building Climate Resilient Migrant Friendly Town (CRMFT) Through Locally Led Adaptation in Mongla
• Activity 5: Capacity Building: Short Course on Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) and Local Loss and Damage: A Nexus Approach
• Activity 6: Small Grant Initiative: Generating Ambition for Locally Led Adaptation Project (To be Initiated)
• Activity 7: Publication: Journal articles, monthly LLA newsletters, reports, op-eds, comics and animation, etc.

Activity 1: Advocacy and Networking: National and Divisional Platforms on Locally Led Adaptation (NPLLA and DPLLA)

ICCCAD has successfully established LLA platforms at the divisional level in Khulna, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Mymensingh. The other three divisional platforms will be launched by 2024 or early 2025. Besides, the national platform will be announced in 2022.

The objectives of the LLA platforms include creating a communication channel for local messages from the community level to the national level, promoting successful LLA practices, empowering local communities through capacity building, and providing a space for collaboration amongst all relevant stakeholders.

Case for Activity 1:

The Khulna, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Mymensingh Divisional Platform conferences brought together local-level actors and stakeholders in LLA from across these districts to a common platform where they can highlight the work they are doing, share their concerns, and find partners for collaboration.

Activity 2: Research on LLA Accountability and Transparency: 360 Accountability Scorecard on Locally Led Adaptation with IIED and Partners

Climate finance for adaptation projects is delivered through a complex chain of actors, which results in not enough money reaching local communities. 360-degree accountability scorecards aim to solve this issue by examining the journey of climate finance at every stage–shining a light on how the money flows from donors through to intermediaries and down to the local level.

The scorecards consist of 40 questions that link to the LLA principles and can be tailored to local contexts. The scorecards can then be used to assess projects on the ground.

Case for Activity 2

To test the scorecard matrix the LLA team visited two project sites (Sunamganj and Cox’s Bazar) from two different locations in Bangladesh to document the community responses. Later, the donor’s and intermediaries’ responses were also recorded.

Activity 3: Research: Assessing Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) approach of the Climate Change Resilience Project (CCRP) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT)

The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) contributed to accessing the CCRP through the locally-led adaptation (LLA) lens aligning the activities with the eight principles of LLA. Besides, the study also aimed to signify how LLA encourages financing processes that prioritize the agency of local actors that are on the front lines of climate change impacts and are often suitably placed to acknowledge adaptation solutions resonating with their challenges.

Case for Activity 3

Extensive desk and field research conducted in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region.

Activity 4: Research and Technical Support: Building Climate Resilient Migrant Friendly Town (CRMFT) Through Locally Led Adaptation in Mongla

The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) is working as a technical partner to guide and create tools to incorporate an LLA perspective in CRMFT at Mongla.

Case for Activity 4

https://www.brac.net/latest-news/item/1387-climate-resilient-and-migrant-friendly-towns-through-locally-led-adaptation

Activity 5: Capacity Building: Short Course on Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) and Local Loss and Damage: A Nexus Approach

ICCCAD offers an annual short course for national and international adaptation practitioners, academics, and researchers to examine the nexus between locally led adaptation and local loss and damage. This course aims to enhance the theoretical and practical knowledge on locally led adaptation and local loss and damage. It also offers a platform for knowledge exchange across the regions through collaborative action and co-production of knowledge.

Case for Activity 5

The inaugural short course took place from 22 to 25 June 2023. The four-day program was delivered to a diverse cohort of 23 national and international participants, representing India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, the Netherlands, and Bangladesh. The second short course commenced on 29 September and concluded on 3 October 2024. It was attended by a diverse cohort of 30 Bangladeshi nationals, comprising academics, practitioners, students, activists, and researchers.

Activity 6: Small Grant Initiative: Generating Ambition for Locally Led Adaptation Project (To be Initiated)

A Small Grant Initiative is being launched as part of the Generating Ambition for Locally Led Adaptation Project. The objective of this initiative is to provide small grants to diverse groups and individuals, enabling them to engage in the practice, implementation, or research of locally led adaptation efforts. The objective is to facilitate the expansion and integration of locally led adaptation initiatives on a larger scale.

Case for Activity 6

N/A

Activity 7: Publication: Journal articles, monthly LLA newsletters, reports, op-eds, comics and animation, etc.    

The institution produces a variety of publications, including policy briefs, newspaper articles, journal articles, working papers, opinion pieces, columns, and special issues. In addition to the traditional formats, the intention is to convey the findings of the research in innovative ways, including the use of comics, animated videos (scheduled for release at COP 29), and photo stories. To ensure the widest possible accessibility, these resources are published in both Bangla for local audiences and English for international readers.

Case for Activity 7

The comic book, entitled “Overcoming the Odds,” illustrates the business-unusual scenario of climate finance in the realm of adaptation. It demonstrates how local leadership can be promoted through consistent dialogues and consultations amongst the donors, intermediaries, and local community.