Bangladesh: Homestead Gardening Guidelines - Vegetable production for household consumption using minimal space in Rohingya camps and host communities

Countries: Bangladesh, Myanmar Source: Concern Worldwide Please refer to the attached file. OVERVIEW With more than 923,1791 people spread across approximately 25 sq. km. of single-story buildings, the Rohingya Refugee Camps are both the biggest and the most densely populated refugee camps in the world.2 The camps sit on previously forested, now landslide prone topography. The decreased greenery due to deforestation has resulted in higher ambient temperatures and slope destabilization. Since 2018, the humanitarian response has engaged in camp greening activities, including the reforestation of 470 ha of land and the engagement of nearly 60,000 HH annually in gardening initiatives. These camps greening efforts have both reduced the landslide risk within the camps and provided important disaster risk reduction programming and temperature control.3 The gardening initiative is also providing the Rohingya with vegetable production capacity at the household level, which is supporting critical access to more nutritious and diverse diets. Furthermore, camp gardening supports greening efforts and decreases the demand for vegetables in the Cox’s Bazar Market – a critical contribution given the anticipated 50-60 percent annual vegetable deficiency in the Cox’s Bazar District. 4 Over four years after their arrival, the Rohingya continue to show high levels of vulnerability and remain heavily dependent on food assistance. 5 The impact of COVID-19, and the subsequent lockdown efforts to quell the rate of transmission has further exacerbated levels of vulnerability in the camps. According to the Refugee Influx Emergency Vulnerability Assessment (REVA 5) report, the acceptable food consumption score in Rohingya households has improved in 2021, reaching 45 percent, compared to 50 percent in 2020, and withou...

Original source: Relief Web