Project Description

The Scoping Assessment of the Multipurpose Disaster Shelter Support (MPDS) Project was awarded to Disaster Management Watch by CARE Bangladesh under the USAID-funded initiative jointly implemented by CARE, Save the Children, and Gram Unnayon Sangathon (GRAUS). To strengthen communication, documentation, and stakeholder engagement components, Communication and Development was engaged by Disaster Management Watch as a Sub-Consultant under this assignment. The MPDS Project aims to enhance community resilience and disaster preparedness in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts through the construction of multipurpose disaster shelters that serve as safe havens during emergencies and community learning spaces during normal times. The assessment was aligned with national frameworks such as the Standing Orders on Disaster (2019), the 7th Five-Year Plan, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), as well as USAID’s 22 CFR 216 Environmental Compliance Procedures. It incorporated gender, inclusion, and environmental sensitivity considerations into all stages of planning and implementation. The purpose of this scoping assessment was to provide the program with sufficient contextual understanding and knowledge that can be used to inform and refine programming. Scoping was the process of identifying the significant issues relating to the proposed action and of determining the scope of the issues to be addressed in the Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. The originator of an action within the classes of actions described in USAID’s 22 CFR 216 & 216.2(d) shall commence this scoping process as soon

as practicable. Key areas envisioned included

• To know the location wise expectations of the community on new multi-purpose shelters facilities, design, utilities, management and maintenance of the infrastructure.
• To know the most appropriate locations for construction of new shelters and determine land availability by community and government buy-in and considering overlap with ongoing and planned shelter activities, any possible environmental impacts of construction and restrictions and limitations posed by COVID-19;
• To carry out inception-stage site-specific environmental scoping by visiting each potential site/project area together with the design team, and in consultation with local communities to identify key social and environmental features, issues and risks in the project area relevant to the project, to get to know the alternatives under consideration from the site perspective, and to determine the level, extent and type of environmental investigation needed,
• To prepare an Environmental Scoping Statement as per USAID’s 22 CFR 216 Agency Environmental Procedures, 216.3 Procedures, (a) (4), page 14; and IEE Asia 19-010, page 2, paragraph 5;
• If the Scoping Statement identifies potentially significant adverse environmental and social impact for any site, the document would contain a refined SOW for a full Environmental Assessment of that site, (subsequently, the environment assessment will result in an environmental assessment report with an environmental mitigation and monitoring plan (EMMP). If the Scoping Statement identifies no potentially significant adverse environmental and social impacts for a site, the report submitted to USAID would contain a request to withdraw Positive Threshold Decision for that site, and reverse it back to Negative Determination with Conditions. In this case the Scoping Statement would contain a framework EMMP and a reporting plan with site-specific environmental social and technical screening, selection and eligibility criteria.
• To identify the barriers women and girls face, and the negative norms and practices in their communities, and how the project can adjust its programming to ensure it is gender sensitive in disaster situations as well as at normal times.
• To collect and define baseline values as per the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan’s indicators, both structural and non-structural aspects of community resilience, so as to measure and assess the progress of the project and foster learning;
• To decide on Upazila wise hazard specific emergency response triggering criteria and guideline on operation management to respond to both anticipated and unanticipated crisis during the project period.
• To finalize site selection for construction of shelters which will include the sites of compound with existing or without schools, new land if needed, access road, water, sanitation and latrine facilities for the proposed shelter.

Service Provided By Communication and Development Limited

• Designed and produced communication materials, infographics, and visual layouts for dissemination.
• Prepared presentation decks and bilingual summary briefs following USAID/CARE visibility standards.
• Documented field visuals and developed case stories for stakeholder communication.
• Supported organization and facilitation of virtual dissemination workshops.
• Assisted in producing the final InDesign-formatted reports and presentation materials for external communication.

Key Deliverables

• Scoping Assessment Report with 50 IEE summaries and 25 site profiles
• GIS-based maps, shapefiles, and site ranking matrix
• Quantitative datasets and statistical analysis summaries
• Workshop presentations, infographics, and bilingual dissemination briefs
• Stakeholder consultation and validation reports The study provided evidence-based recommendations on suitable sites for shelter construction, assessed land availability and environmental risks, and outlined socio- economic and gender implications within the COVID-19 context. The findings supported USAID and CARE Bangladesh in finalizing strategic locations and ensuring environmental and social compliance of the MPDS Project.