About CReLIC

Introduction

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is establishing a Climate Resilient Local Infrastructure Centre (CReLIC) under its Climate Resilient Infrastructure Mainstreaming (CRIM) Project funded by Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW) and the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) to mainstream climate resilience in the design, planning and implementation of local infrastructures.

CReLIC will be working as a distinctive entity within LGED financed from the CRIM Project during the project period. Subsequently, CReLIC will be institutionalized to ensure mainstreaming of climate change adaption and mitigation options in the infrastructure development activities of LGED and other organizations.

CReLIC will be positioned as a Centre of Excellence that will act as a knowledge and information hub that collects, processes and provides knowledge and information on climate resilient infrastructure to and from LGED Engineers, relevant research institutions and other stakeholders. The centre will fill the gap between the increasingly diverse and competent landscape of think tanks and scientific institutions that provide policy advice and scientific climate data in Bangladesh.

The centre will gather, analyse and develop relevant local and international best practices, considering international standards and translating them into construction standards for LGED. The Centre will also provide training and the use of geo information infrastructure planning, management and maintenance. The developed knowledge, formulated guidelines and procedures considering climate change issues under CReLIC will be disseminated to all local government institutions through a dedicated interactive website and other appropriate means of communication.

CReLIC will trigger a stepwise institutional learning process fully integrated into LGED structures and backed by pilot investment schemes under components 2 and 3 of the CRIM Project, i.e. climate resilient infrastructures development in rural and in urban areas, respectively. As a result, the CRIM Project aims to increase directly the adaptive capacity of more than 134,000 people to climate change. Indirectly, 10.4 million people (6.8 percent of the total population of the country) will benefit from climate resilient infrastructure planning and implementation in the long term.

Major Outcomes and Activities

Installation of a Knowledge Management System

CReLIC as a knowledge and information hub will collect, process and provide information and knowledge on climate resilient infrastructures and relevant climate data. The major activities under this are:

  • Develop a Knowledge Management System (KMS)
  • Develop a framework for external climate data and information acquisition
  • Develop cooperation and networking structures
  • Capture relevant lessons learnt
  • Provide relevant training and capacity building activities.

Adjustment of Standards, Procedures and Guidelines

CReLIC as a think tank and innovation lab will develop, test and evaluate innovations to enhance climate resilience for infrastructures. The major activities under this are:

  • Establish an inventory of existing guidelines and procedures
  • Adjust guidelines, procedures to incorporate climate change resilience
  • Conduct climate impact assessments
  • Conduct research studies for best practices
  • Develop a climate resilience tool
  • Provide training and a helpdesk.

Mainstreaming of Climate Resilience within LGED

As a sensitization, training and support facility CReLIC will ensure mainstreaming, enhance awareness and motivate all relevant stakeholders of LGED as well as disseminate knowledge and lessons learnt internally and externally. The major activities under this are:

  • Develop a mainstreaming concept
  • Develop a shared knowledge base for common understanding
  • Conduct gender study
  • Conduct training needs assessments
  • Develop and organize trainings, study tours
  • Develop and organize awareness and motivation campaigns.

Institutionalization of CReLIC

Institutionalize CReLIC as a permanent entity within LGED, through a series of consultations and discussions with the senior management of LGED and the Government. The major activities under this are:

  • Conduct an institutional assessment of LGED
  • Provide initial recommendations on the institutional setup of CReLIC
  • Develop an organizational development plan
  • Develop a business plan for CReLIC
  • Facilitate high-level government approval to institutionalize CReLIC.