1. BLUE GOLD
The overall objective of the Blue Gold Programme is:
“to reduce poverty for 150,000 households living in 160,000 ha area of selected
coastal polders by creating a healthy living environment and generating
sustainable socio-economic development.”
Description
Bangladesh, the largest river delta in the world, depends for its economic
growth largely on integrated and sustainable water resources management.
The three major river systems of the country mark its physiography and life of
its people. Its waters, its Blue Gold, have fundamentally shaped Bangladesh
culture. Efficient management of this immense natural resource remains a
continuing challenge and offers at the same time tremendous opportunities.
About 38% of the population in the coastal regions of Bangladesh live below the
poverty line and face high vulnerabilities in terms of insecurity of food, income,
water and health. However, there are ample opportunities to harness the
resources of the coastal areas that, if successfully achieved, can lift the
population from poverty, create a sustainable environment and provide security
and quality of life to present and future generations.
The essence of Blue Gold is to establish and empower /water management
organizations (WMOs) to sustainably manage their water resources and to
make these resources more productive. The Programme aims to create strong
cooperatives that will interact with public and private organizations that play a
role in the development of the area. Participatory water resources management
is the entry point and the initial driver of the community organization process.
The explicit objective of Blue Gold is to reduce poverty of the people in the
coastal areas by increasing productivity of crops, fisheries and livestock and
raising incomes by improved processing and marketing of agricultural products
including value chain development.
Blue Gold builds on the results and lessons learned from previous programs
and projects in Bangladesh, notably the Integrated Planning for Sustainable
Water Management (IPSWAM) program (2003-2012), Southwest Area Project,
Char Development & Settlement Project and other Bangladesh and Dutch
experiences in participatory water management in polders.
Programme Components
1. Community mobilisation and institutional strengthening: As the starting
point of the program, communities in the polders are organised into Water
Management Groups (WMGs) at village level and Water Management
Associations (WMAs) at polder level, with an aim to create effective
cooperatives that are in a position to formulate community priorities. The
Duration
March 2013 - March 2019 (6 years)
Program Area
Partners
Main Donor:
Embassy of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands (EKN)
Main Implementing Partners:
Ministry of Water Resources, through
Bangladesh Water Development Board
(BWDB) - Lead & Department of
Agricultural Extension (DAE)
Target Group
500,000 men, women and children

2. Technical Assistance Consultants:
Euroconsult Mott MacDonald (lead);
Other: FEMconsult, BETS Consulting,
Socioconsult and IDE.
Partner Information
BWDB is a part of the Ministry of Water
Resources and is responsible for the
implementation of water projects that
exceed 10 km² in size.
DAE its mission is to provide efficient
and effective needs based extension
services to all categories of farmers, to
enable them to optimize their use of
resources, in order to promote
sustainable agricultural and socio-
economic development.
Euroconsult Mott MacDonald is an
international development consultancy
with almost 60 years of experience in
developing countries. Their expertise
lies in water resources development,
rural development, agriculture, environ-
mental management climate change
projects and capacity building.
Program ID
Pir 24007 - DHA0116534
Budget
Total budget: EURO 57.5 million
Contribution of EKN: EUR 50.0 million
Gov. of Bangladesh: EUR 7.5 million
Further Information
Please visit: www.bluegoldbd.org
Contact
Blue Gold Gulshan Office:
Karim Manjil, Ground Floor, House 19,
Road 118. Gulhan. 1212, Dhaka
info@bluegoldbd.org
EKN: dha-OS@minbuza.nl
capacity development of the cooperatives will build on the training
approach and toolkit developed in the IPSWAM and Southwest Area
project. At least 30% women participation is ensured as general as well as
executive committee members in the WMGs/WMAs which is a major
breakthrough in women empowerment.
2. Integrated water resources management: This component enhances flood
protection in polders by rehabilitation of the embankments and water
intakes and outlets and by improving the water distribution and drainage
systems; it fine-tunes and rehabilitates the infrastructural works of selected
polders; and creates an effective operational partnership between
government agencies and community groups (WMG/WMA). Planning,
design and implementation of civil works are based on the principle of
participatory water resource management.
3. Food security and agricultural development: This component organizes
Farmer Field Schools (FFS). FFS are linked to the WMG’s in the polders to
educate and assist male and female farmers to increase productivity in
crops, aquaculture and livestock. The scope for increased productivity is
created through improved water management (polder rehabilitation) and
strong WMG’s (responsible for operation & maintenance in the polders).
The FFS and the introduction of Polder Development Plans bring higher
agricultural production, resulting in improved supply of nutritious foods at
lower prices at local retail markets; improved food security and food use
through greater awareness and behavioural change of the polder
communities.
4. Business development and private sector involvement. A Business
Development Plan of each polder is developed for production and
marketing of selected farm products. The Business Development Plans
assist the WMGs/cooperatives to further professionalize and diversify. This
component focuses on field crops or other agricultural products, for which
value chain analyses are made and private sector linkages are established
for well-defined services as input for the Business Development Plans. It
supports the food security component.
5. Livelihood improvement and cross cutting issues. Cross cutting issues
that are firmly incorporated in the program relate to good governance,
gender (its importance will be reflected in the inclusion of Gender Action
Plans as part of the community action plans and polder development
plans), climate change / disaster risk reduction (DRR) and technological
innovation.
Contribution to National ‘Food Security’ Policy Programs
 National Food Policy
 Country Investment Plan for Agriculture, Food security and Nutrition