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FY 1997 Development Assistance: $50,780,000
FY 1997 P.L. 480 Title II: $18,800,000
Introduction
Bangladesh is one of the poorest, most populous democracies in South Asia, with a solid record of good government economic performance. Bangladesh also has a strong record of support for U.S. positions in international fora, including participation in international peacekeeping missions. U.S. interest is primarily humanitarian, focused on poverty reduction. However, the large U.S. food debt coming due for repayment and the potential for market development and trade expansion provide further impetus for the United States to foster sustainable development. The need to increase disaster preparedness to reduce the cost of disaster relief provides additional rational for U.S. assistance.
The Development Challenge
Bangladesh is the world's most densely populated agricultural country, with a population base of 120 million and with 830 people per square kilometer. This extreme population pressure on the country's resources, combined with a number of unfavorable socioeconomic factors, makes Bangladesh one of the poorest countries in the world. Some 50 million Bangladeshi citizens live below the poverty line, measured by consumption of less than 2,122 calories a day, the minimum caloric standard for an average adult.
In spite of the high levels of poverty, Bangladesh has made considerable progress in a number of social and economic areas over the past five years. Recent surveys show improvements in rural living standards and a modest decline in the proportion of Bangladeshis living below the poverty line. Contraceptive use is at an historic high, resulting in a significant reduction in fertility rates and demonstrating that even poor countries can restrain population growth. Improvements in emergency response, agricultural policies and related food production increases since 1989 have allowed the country to avert famine during recent droughts, cyclones and floods. Bangladesh also has undertaken a number of reforms in privatizing its agricultural, financial and industrial sectors, which have paid dividends in reducing government budget deficits and lowering food and essential commodity prices. The 1991 parliamentary and 1992 local elections were generally considered free and fair. The importance of these achievements must to be viewed in the context of a country that faces recurring natural disasters and has a natural resource base which is among the most stressed in the developing world.
USAID has played an important role in Bangladesh's recent achievements. In the agricultural sector, USAID efforts over the past five years have led to privatization of the fertilizer sector and privatization of the domestic grain trade. This, coupled with the expanded use of irrigation, has done more to lower the cost of farming for small landholders and the cost of food for rural and urban poor than any other achievements. In the area of health and family planning, USAID has played a major role in increasing the use of contraceptives, oral rehydration salts and urban vaccinations, which have directly contributed to the decline in fertility rates and in infant and child mortality. USAID's successes in health and family planning are now allowing a transition to a more self-sustaining development program, and are expected to greatly diminish the need for USAID resources in this sector in coming years. In the democracy sector, USAID assistance has enhanced the role of domestic election monitors, developed cost-effective dispute resolution methods, and strengthened civil society organizations.
Even with its reasonably good record of development performance, Bangladesh is not an early candidate for rapid graduation from traditional development assistance. While substantial progress has been achieved, poverty levels -- with the attendant high levels of malnutrition, illiteracy, and other socioeconomic problems -- remain high. Significant increases in economic growth must be achieved before poverty levels can decline dramatically, allowing domestic production and trade to replace external assistance. Bangladesh also owes some external debts, including approximately $700 million to the United States for P.L. 480 Titles I and III food imports, which will reduce the government's economic investments in the coming years.
Other Donors
USAID and the donor community pledged almost $2 billion this year for development activities in Bangladesh. The United States provides about 4% of all donor assistance to Bangladesh. Other major contributors include: the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the United Nations agencies, and the International Monetary Fund.
FY 1997 Program
USAID's strategy for helping Bangladesh reach and maintain lower poverty levels concentrates on achieving sustained replacement fertility levels, improved health status of the population, food security for the poor, and broadened participation by the poor in democratic institutions and processes. Through these combined foci, USAID expects to assist millions of poor Bangladeshis to attain a higher standard of living. Support for family planning and maternal and child health programs leads to smaller and healthier families, thereby reducing pressures on the country's finite land base and resources. Programs that work to increase access to, availability of and utilization of food by the poor lead to reduced hunger, which in turn allows the country to be more productive. Broadening participation in democratic processes is expected to lead to greater attention to the needs of the poor in the distribution of the nation's resources. All of these factors contribute to U.S. national interests in making Bangladesh more stable and self-supporting. This will allow the country to become a better customer for U.S. products and technology.
In recent years, the program has emphasized health and population activities. However, if health and population activities are to become truly sustainable, household incomes must increase, people must be well-fed, and public policies must be more focused on poverty reduction. Accordingly, our 1997 program also emphasizes economic growth and democracy.
Agency Goal: Stabilizing World Population Growth and Protecting Human Health
Bangladesh is the ninth most populous country in the world, and rapid population growth is one of the key constraints to development. Three of USAID's objectives in Bangladesh are aimed, both directly and indirectly, at reducing the population growth rate.
Of the total funding requested for population and health, $30,280,000 is planned for population activities and $12,750,000 is planned for health activities.
The total fertility rate in Bangladesh dropped to 3.4 in 1994 from over 7 in 1974 (a decline of over four children per woman). This rapid decline in fertility can largely be explained by a rise in the contraceptive prevalence rate, which rose to 45% in 1994 from less than 8% in 1974. USAID's contribution in reducing the fertility rate includes support for the commercial distribution of pills and condoms; high-quality and efficient nongovernmental organization (NGO) and Government service delivery; efficient operation of the family planning logistics system; enhanced community participation in local government management of the family planning program; comprehensive family planning information, education, and communication; and research leading to higher quality and sustainable family planning programs, policy-making and implementation.
In the health sector, infant mortality had dropped to 88 per 1,000 live births by 1994, down significantly from 128 per 1,000 in 1986. Also by 1994, deaths in children under five years of age dropped to 132 per 1,000 live births, down from 168 per 1,000 in 1986. USAID contributed to these reductions through support for childhood and maternal vaccinations, child spacing and family planning, and promotion of oral rehydration salts. In 1995, 63% of urban infants had been completely vaccinated, up from only 5% in 1986. The USAID-supported Social Marketing Company has increased its commercial sales of oral rehydration salts packets to 38 million in 1995, up from 4 million in 1986, andplans to be fully self-reliant in the marketing of these packets by 2000. In addition to policy dialogue programs, USAID has also launched an important condom promotion and peer education program aimed at high-risk HIV/AIDS groups.
Progress also is being made toward the long-term sustainability of the national family planning and maternal child health program. Government of Bangladesh expenditures in population and health are steadily increasing; as a result, from 1990-91 to 1994-95, the proportion of the national budget allocated to the health and population sectors rose from 5.9% to 6.9%. The Social Marketing Company, a USAID-funded program, has increased its cost recovery for the marketing of contraceptives and oral rehydration salts from 52% in 1992 to 78% in 1995. In addition, local communities supported by the USAID Family Planning Local Initiative Program have increased their contributions to the program from zero in 1986 to almost 20% in 1995. Finally, urban municipalities are contributing increasing amounts to the local costs of routine immunizations.
A number of challenges remain for the coming years. For example, mortality and fertility rates have declined simultaneously, meaning that population growth rates have declined only modestly during recent years. Thus, reductions in fertility must be continued. In addition, recent health and family planning achievements need to be made sustainable, which will require making health and family planning services higher quality, better integrated and more cost-effective. This will involve increasing community participation in the financing of services and increasing government budgetary allocations to the health and population sectors. In addition, HIV/AIDS is already a serious problem in neighboring South Asian countries; therefore, although HIV seroprevalence in Bangladesh is presently low, attention needs to be focused on prevention.
Agency Goal: Encouraging Broad-based Economic Growth
With half of its population undernourished, food security is a second major constraint on development in Bangladesh. Accordingly, three USAID objectives support access to, availability of and utilization of food by the poor.
In part as the result of USAID investments and policy support over the past several years, Bangladesh is now generally self-sufficient in rice, the primary staple food. There has been significant expansion in the numbers of poor households producing and consuming micronutrient and protein rich foods due to USAID-supported NGO-government activities in pond fish culture and homestead vegetable gardening. USAID assistance, including P.L. 480 Title II agricultural resources, has made 1,167 kilometers of rural roads environmentally sound and passable, thereby allowing farmers to more easily and quickly get inputs to their fields and their crops to market. USAID support for rural electricity has permitted the addition of at least 44,000 electric irrigation pumps which has increased agricultural productivity and at least 163,000 small rural businesses which have generated employment and incomes for many rural families. The provision of P.L. 480 Title III wheat has permitted a quadrupling of the Food for Education program, supplying grain to the families of 1.4 million poor primary school students; these resources not only feed many poor families but also allow their children to remain in school. Through a USAID-supported credit program to over 30,000 poor women, more than 70,000 jobs have been generated and almost all borrowers have increased their incomes above the poverty line. Other USAID assistance to small and microenterprises has resulted in $3 million in new investments, 1,600 new jobs and $5.3 million in added annual income. In addition, USAID-supported disaster preparedness programs -- including disaster management and environmental and nutritional surveillance -- have helped reduce the economic vulnerability of the poor to frequent natural disasters.
In spite of recent progress in economic growth and food production at the national level, approximately 50 million poor Bangladeshi families remain food insecure. This food insecurity has a direct effect on the health and nutritional status of these poor Bangladeshis. Because of the tenuousness of their economic circumstances, poor Bangladeshis are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of frequent natural disasters. Additional USAID assistance is needed, particularly in the areas of income and employment generation, nutritional and environmentally sustainable food production improvements, disaster preparedness and reductions in industrial pollution.
Agency Goal: Building Democracy
USAID's democracy program in Bangladesh is in a transitional phase. Under the previous strategy, USAID's democracy initiatives focused on enhancing the legislative capacity of parliament, improving the administration of elections, increasing legal awareness among the poor, and strengthening NGOs. Through this strategy, recommendations to improve parliamentary operations have been developed and are pending the outcome of 1996 national elections. The capacity of domestic election monitors has been strengthened and their role recognized by the Election Commission. Over 1,000 print journalists have been trained in investigative journalism, and articles reflecting this training have appeared in the local press, leading to a more substantive discussion of issues. Legal awareness programs, including mediation of about 4,000 cases, have been piloted in about 15 communities. NGOs have formed two dozen technical support networks to enhance the quality of their service delivery and to mobilize public support on their behalf.
As part of the design of the new strategy, USAID has identified transparency and accountability of local elected bodies and access to more equitable justice as the democracy concerns of most importance to the poor. As a result, USAID's democracy-building objectives for 1996 through 2000 will be:
USAID's short-term results will achieve: (1) a strengthening in the advocacy of the interests of the poor; (2) an enhancement of the quality of elections; (3) a strengthening the competence of local elected bodies to identify and meet the needs of the poor; (4) an increase in the awareness of legal rights and obligations by both poor men and women; and (5) an improvement in the quality of alternate dispute resolution.
Poor Bangladeshis expect government to be fair and equitable in the distribution of public resources and in the administration of justice. However, there is a widespread belief that they lack influence over decisions about who gets what, when and how. At the same time, they view local associations and the election process as positive channels for exerting influence over such decisions. They emphasize that local institutions -- both formal and informal -- affect them most directly; and this is where they would most like to see positive change. Therefore, USAID's strategy focuses primarily on the local level.
| Encouraging Economic Growth | Stabilizing Population Growth | Protecting the Environment |
Building Democra- cy |
Providing Humanitar- ian Assistance | Total | |
| USAID Strategic Objectives | ||||||
|
1. Use of Modern Contraceptives by Eligible Couples Increased |
$27,280 | $27,280 | ||||
| 2. Use of High-Impact Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Increased | $3,125 | $3,125 | ||||
| 3. Institutional, Programmatic, and Financial Sustainability of Family Planning and MCH Programs Enhanced | $3,000 | $3,000 | ||||
| 4. Diets of the Poor Nutritionally Enhanced | ||||||
| Development Assistance | $9,625 | $9,625 | ||||
| PL 480 Title II | 18,800 | 18,800 | ||||
| 5. Agricultural productivity per hectare increased | ||||||
| Development Assistance | - 0 - | - 0 - | ||||
| 6. Rural household income increased | $3,550 | $3,550 | ||||
| 7. Enhanced Participation in Local Decision Making |
$2,520 |
$2,520 |
||||
| 8. More Accessible and Equitable Justice, Especially for Women. | $1,680 | $1,680 | ||||
| Total | ||||||
| Development Assistance | $3,550 | $43,030 | - 0 - | $4,200 | - 0 - | $50,780 |
| P.L. 480 Title II | $18,800 | $18,800 |
PROGRAM: BANGLADESH
TITLE AND NUMBER: Use of Modern Contraceptives by Eligible Couples Increased, 388-SOO1
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $27,280,00 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1996; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY1997
Purpose: Decrease the high total fertility rates through increasing the voluntary use of modern contraceptives by eligible couples.
Background: Bangladesh is the most densely populated agricultural country in the world. Population density and growth affect the country's ability to feed itself, create jobs for all, and provide health, education and other public services. For Bangladesh to develop, it must slow its population growth rate. Increased modern contraceptive use is the most effective means to reduce fertility.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: The USAID program in Bangladesh has already demonstrated that sustained support for family planning information and services can contribute to measurable reductions in fertility despite continued low economic and social indicators. The challenges to further increased use of modern contraceptives include enhancing the quality of clinical family planning services and improving the counseling of potential family planning clients, especially men. USAID has been a major partner with the Bangladesh Government (BDG), the World Bank, the United Nation UNFPA, and other donors in the National Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health (FP/MCH) Program. Under this strategic objective, USAID supports family planning service delivery through local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and local governments; social marketing; information, education, and communication; operations and survey research, and quality assurance. In total, these programs have contributed to a rise in the contraceptive prevalence rate of all methods from 30% in 1986 to 45% in 1994. This has resulted in the fall of the total fertility rate from 5.6 in 1987 to approximately 3.4 in 1997.
Description: USAID's work focuses on four activity areas: (1) increasing access to family planning information and services through local NGOs and through support to local governments; (2) improving the quality of family planning clinical and non-clinical services; (3) improving access to non-clinical family planning methods through the private, non-profit Social Marketing Company; and (4) improving information, education and communication programs aimed at family planning clients and service providers. Through these activities, USAID provides family planning sub-grants to approximately 115 local NGOs and about 100 sub-district family planning committees. The USAID-funded Social Marketing Company works through approximately 110,000 retailers to market oral contraceptives and condoms at subsidized prices. USAID also provides support to implement the National Family Planning Program's national information, education and communication strategy.
Host Country and Other Donors: Since 1987, USAID and the World Bank consortium including nine bilateral and five multilateral donors have each provided about one-third of all funding for the National Family Planning and Health Program. The BDG provides approximately one-third of the total investment costs of population programs in Bangladesh.
Beneficiaries: Approximately 12 million eligible couples, who have access to or receive family planning information or services, will be the beneficiaries of this objective.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements activities through U.S. private firms, NGOs and universities; local NGOs; and a private, non-profit Bangladeshi company.
Major Results Indicators: Baseline Target
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR)
- All Methods Increased 30% (1986/87)1/ 50% (1997)
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR)
- Modern Methods Increased 23% (1986/87)1 43% (1997)
PROGRAM: BANGLADESH
TITLE AND NUMBER: Use of High Impact Maternal and Child Health Services Increased, 388-SOO2
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $ 3,125,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1996; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 1997
Purpose: To reduce current high levels of infant and child mortality by increasing the availability and use of key child survival and maternal health services.
Background: Infant mortality in Bangladesh is high. There are constraints to increased use of maternal and child health (MCH) services, including inadequate coordination of health and family planning services within the public sector and between the public and nongovernmental sectors.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID's support includes urban vaccination, social marketing of oral rehydration salts (ORS), and other MCH programs. As a result, full vaccination of urban infants rose from 5% in 1986 to 63% in 1995. Private sales of ORS packets rose from four million in 1986 to 38 million in 1995. USAID activities contributed to reducing infant deaths from 128 per 1,000 live births in 1986 to 88 in 1994, or about a 30% decrease in eight years. Similarly, mortality for children under five declined by about 20%, from 168 to 132 per 1,000 live births in the same timeframe.
Description: USAID focuses on four activity areas: (1) increasing and sustaining vaccination rates for urban infants and women of reproductive age; (2) improving access to and quality of nongovernmental (NGO)-delivered MCH services and information; (3) promoting further use of ORS for diarrheal disease treatment; and reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. Under its municipal immunization program, USAID supports routine immunization programs, improved disease surveillance, and special immunization initiatives such as the three year campaign to eradicate polio through national immunization days. USAID also supports a private, non-profit company for the social marketing of ORS. By the year 2000, this company is expected to be self-reliant in the marketing of ORS. In addition, USAID-supported NGOs are supplementing family planning programs with MCH interventions such as antenatal and postnatal care.
Host Country and Other Donors: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) supports rural immunization, control of diarrheal diseases, and acute respiratory infections programs. The World Bank provides nutrition, immunization, diarrheal disease control assistance and support for other MCH services. The Bangladesh Government (BDG) supports the delivery of MCH services through its rural network of health and family planning field workers, family welfare centers, sub-district health and family planning facilities and MCH clinics in urban areas.
Beneficiaries: Children under five years of age and women of child-bearing age in Bangladesh represent 35% of Bangladesh's population of about 42 million people. USAID-supported programs reach about half of these beneficiaries.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements activities through a U.S. firm, a private non-profit company, and U.S. and local NGOs.
Major Results Indicators: Baseline Target
Infant mortality per 1,000 live births 128 (1986/87)2/ 83 (1997)
Child mortality per 1,000 children
under 5 years 168 (1986/87)1 120(1997)
Percentage of urban infants fully
vaccinated by 1 year 5 (1986/87)3/ 75 (1997)
Private sector sales of
ORT packets (in millions) 4 (1986/87)4/ 35(1997)
PROGRAM: BANGLADESH
TITLE AND NUMBER: Institutional, Programmatic, and Financial Sustainability of Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health Programs Enhanced, 388-SOO3
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $3,000,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1996; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 1997
Purpose: To increase the institutional, financial, and programmatic sustainability of the National Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health FP/MCH Program.
Background: Bangladesh has been characterized by high fertility and infant and child mortality, although these figures have been declining in recent years. The long-term future of family planning and health service delivery depends upon sufficient financing and institutional capabilities. Accordingly, increased emphasis is being placed on such issues as cost-effectiveness, efficiency of management systems and services, reducing administrative and programmatic redundancies, decreasing dependence on donors for recurrent cost financing, and user fees.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID aims to improve the institutional, financial, and programmatic sustainability of NGO and public sector FP/MCH programs; the Social Marketing Company; the national contraceptive logistics system; and the municipal immunization program. Measurable progress is being made toward the long-term sustainability of the National Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health (FP/MCH) Program. Government of Bangladesh expenditures in population and health are steadily increasing; as a result, from 1990-91 to 1994-95, the proportion of the national budget allocated to the health and population sectors rose from 5.9% to 6.9%. The USAID-
funded Social Marketing Company has increased its cost recovery for the marketing of contraceptives and oral rehydration salts from 52% in 1992 to 78% in 1995. In addition, local communities supported by the USAID Family Planning Local Initiative Program have increased their contributions to the program from zero in 1986 to almost 20% in 1995. The annual stock-out rate of the national contraceptive logistics system has been systematically reduced from 23% in 1989 to about 4% in 1995. Finally, urban municipalities are contributing increasing amounts to the local costs of routine immunizations.
Description: USAID supports activities that: (1) improve the efficiency of organizations that provide family planning and MCH services; (2) find ways for providers and program managers to become less dependent on donor financial and technical assistance; (3) improve the institutional capabilities of service delivery organizations; and (4) enhance the capability of indigenous organizations to design, conduct and apply survey and operations research. The USAID-
supported Rural and Urban Extension Programs test alternative management and service delivery models in several project sites using the existing government service delivery system. USAID also supports periodic demographic and health surveys and other programmatic research. In addition, USAID supports a technical assistance program to develop in-country capacity for contraceptive logistics management, including the capability to forecast commodity needs, monitor the distribution and utilization of contraceptives, and maintain a functional management information system.
Host Country and Other Donors: USAID works closely and coordinates its assistance with the World Bank consortium (consisting of nine bilateral and five multilateral donors) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The Bangladesh Government (BDG) is supporting this effort by contributing increasing funds to the family planning sector, by supporting a new health economics unit in the Ministry of Health, and by endorsing new policies aimed at introducing user fees and community financing of FP/MCH services.
Beneficiaries: Approximately 12 million eligible couples who have access to or receive FP/MCH services, will beneficiaries this program.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements activities through a U.S. firm, a private non-profit company, and U.S. and local NGOs.
Major Results Indicators:
Percent of Overall Recurrent Costs of
the Family Planning Program Funded by
Donors Reduced
Purpose: To nutritionally enhance the diets of the poor and thereby reduce malnutrition.
Background: Bangladesh has the highest child malnutrition rates in the world, with two-thirds of children undernourished. Malnutrition exacerbates poor health, inadequate education, and the relatively low productivity and income-earning potential of the poor. Reducing malnutrition improves health, income-earning potential, and productivity in agriculture and other sectors. Malnutrition is best reduced by enhancing the diet and increasing food availability and income.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID has supported protein-energy related programs for many years, working with the Bangladesh Government (BDG) and other partners to shift foodgrain distribution programs towards the needs of the poor. With USAID Title III policy conditions and technical assistance in food policy, the BDG has reoriented its large public food system away from replacing the private sector and towards helping the poor with safety net food programs the private sector cannot provide. As a result, the relative weight of these effective programs has shifted from approximately one-third going to the poor in 1992, to almost two-thirds of public food resources today. In addition, USAID has supported several micronutrient programs assisting poor women and children, leading to major expansion in vitamin A consumption by the poor.
Description: USAID focuses on two intermediate results. These are (1) to increase the production and consumption of micronutrient- and protein-rich foods by poor households; and (2) to increase the effectiveness of targeted food programs. Activities to promote the first intermediate result involve nongovernmental organizations and international organizations developing and then disseminating productive techniques and seeds to poor people in the areas of fish farming and homestead vegetable production. Activities to promote the second intermediate result involve food aid and technical assistance programs with the BDG to provide foodgrains to the poor and to help better orient BDG food policy towards the food needs of the poor.
Host Country and Other Donors: Most micronutrient programs and other nutrition programs are undertaken by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh, with the exception of the new BDG, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and World Bank nutrition program focused on improving nutritional behavior and knowledge of the poor. Foodgrain programs are supported by most major donors through the BDG, although traditionally USAID has taken the lead on food policy and on reorienting the public food system. The BDG provides significant foodgrain and other resources in support of these foodgrain programs.
Beneficiaries: Poor households, in particular women and children under five years old in those households whose diets are improved, will benefit from this program.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements this strategic objective through one NGO, a private firm, and two public international organizations working with a network of NGOs.
Major Results Indicators:
Prevalence of Nightblindness
Decreased
for children 24-59 months
PROGRAM: BANGLADESH
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increasing Agricultural Productivity, 388-SOO5
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $ -0- DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1996; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002
Purpose: To increase agricultural productivity per hectare through technical improvements, policy reform, and improved rural infrastructure.
Background: Food insecurity is a major problem in Bangladesh. One of the several reasons for this food insecurity is the lack of availability of food due to lower agricultural productivity and lack of access to markets for both agricultural inputs and farm products. While overall production levels have grown impressively over the past two decades, productivity has stagnated and must be increased to accommodate the needs of the poor for food and income.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: Since the start of USAID support to East Pakistan in 19 , and then to independent Bangladesh, USAID has supported improvements in agricultural productivity, through policy reform and technical innovation linked to food aid, through agricultural research developing new high-yielding crop varieties, and through rural roads and electricity for irrigation and food processing. The result has been a remarkable evolution in Bangladesh from a famine-prone country in the early 1970s, to a country capable of handling food emergencies by the 1990s. Food production has doubled since Independence in 1971. The future is worrisome, however, without an increase in productivity to feed Bangladesh's rapidly growing population and without success in growing crops that require more labor -- and provide more employment -- to the poor.
Description: USAID focuses on three intermediate results: (1) increased farmers' use of more productive, environmentally sound technologies, involving a private firm and the Bangladesh Government (BDG), using Development Assistance and P.L. 480 and Title III generated local currency, to develop and disseminate new technologies increasing the value of agricultural production; (2) policy changes to increase farmers' access to inputs and output markets, involving private firms and the BDG in policy dialogue and analysis to improve policies affecting farmers' productivity; and (3) improved, environmentally sound rural infrastructure, involving a private voluntary organization (PVO) making extensive improvements in key rural road networks linked with agricultural productivity, and a contractor providing assistance to the BDG in expanding the rural electrification program for expansion of the use of electricity for irrigation pumps.
Host Country and Other Donors: The BDG, local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and Bangladeshi farmers and firms are concerned about agricultural productivity and have invested in a broad array of activities to increase production. Many of these efforts are supported by major donors. USAID plays a leadership role among donors in agribusiness, agricultural policy, rural roads, and rural electrification.
Beneficiaries: All Bangladeshis benefit from the increased availability of food. Poor farm families and farm laborers' families using improved agricultural techniques benefit from improved agriculture-related policies. Small entrepreneurs, using roads, electricity and new agribusiness opportunities, also benefit directly.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: U.S. firms, NGOs, and public international organizations (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere (CARE), International Fertilizer Development Cooperation (IFDC) and others) implement this strategic objective.
Major results indicators:
PROGRAM: BANGLADESH
TITLE AND NUMBER: Real Household Income Increased, 388-SOO6
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $3,550,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1996; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002
Purpose: To increase the real household incomes of the poor of Bangladesh.
Background: Food insecurity is a significant problem in Bangladesh. One major reason for food insecurity is the lack of ability to purchase food due to insufficient income. Given the high rate of population growth, the labor force has been growing faster than the rate of job creation. Therefore, approximately one-half of the population of Bangladesh lives below the poverty line on annual per capita incomes of $220, while approximately 30% live in abject poverty. Expanding non-farm employment opportunities, particularly through micro- and small business development, contributes to increased household incomes. In addition, the poor in Bangladesh are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods and cyclones which can destroy a poor family's life savings and means of livelihood in a matter of moments.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID's support includes the provision of technical assistance, training, and commodities to improve the (a) operating efficiencies of Bangladeshi financial institutions; (b) access to credit for the rural poor (predominantly women); (c) disaster preparedness activities; and (d) access to improved rural infrastructure. As a result, over 100,000 individuals in the banking sector have been positively impacted through the provision of technical assistance to facilitate appropriate modern banking and financial technology transfer. In addition, over 26,000 poor families (an average of five persons per family) have benefited from increased access to credit. Also, more than 3.5 million people now have access to safer shelters during times of disaster through nearly 2,600 kilometers of road reconstructed through USAID activities. Finally, 13.05 million people now have access to electricity which also has directly generated 4.14 million jobs in the rural areas.
Description: USAID activities focus on: (1) an enabling environment within which small and microentrepreneurs can operate profitably; (2) improved business efficiencies through policy change, skills training, introduction of better technologies, and nontraditional credit availability; and (3) improved levels of disaster preparedness to mitigate the amount of property and related income loss caused by disasters.
Host Country and Other Donors: USAID resources are joined with those of the World Bank to support reforms in the financial and industrial sectors, with those of the Asian Development Bank to support market reforms in the agricultural sector, and with those of the United Nations Development Program UNDP and British Overseas Development Administration (ODA) to support administrative reform. UNDP, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), ODA and other donors are contributing to disaster preparedness activities. The Bangladesh Government contributes to implementation of the activities through provision of counterpart resources and logistic support.
Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries are employees in newly created or more productive jobs; small loan recipients; entrepreneurs who receive technology and, business information, and who benefit from policy changes; and Bangladeshis in disaster-prone areas.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements these activities through ministries of the Bangladesh government and related parastatal organizations, U.S. and local private voluntary and nongovernmental organizations, and U.S. consulting firms for the provision of technical assistance.
Major Results Indicators:
Industrial sector
employment increased. 4.6 mil (1989) 8.5 mil (2000)
(in millions)
Agricultural sector
employment increased. 21.3 mil (1989) 31.1 mil (2000)
(in millions)
PROGRAM: BANGLADESH
TITLE AND NUMBER: Enhanced Participation in Local Decision Making, 388-SOO7
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $2,520,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1996; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2000
Purpose: To enhance the capacity of local associations to advocate community interests, the quality of local elections, and the ability of locally elected bodies to hear and respond to community interests.
Background: During spring 1995, USAID conducted extensive interviews with the socially and economically disadvantaged peoples of Bangladesh to determine their democratic needs. These interviews showed the poor valued democratic participation highly, but lacked effective means for making their interests known locally and for holding local officials accountable. This program will support activities to strengthen the advocacy skills of local associations; to carry out voter education programs; increase the number of women elected to local government bodies; to increase the level of interaction between elected officials and citizens; and to promote greater transparency in local government.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: Prior USAID technical assistance enabled the Bangladeshi Election Commission to successfully pilot the administration of local elections by citizens rather than deputed government officials and domestic election monitors to observe all national and local elections since 1991. It also enabled elected members of Parliament to develop reform proposals to make Parliament more effective and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to assist members to draft legislation on critical issues. However, USAID has not worked directly with locally elected bodies on issues of advocacy or to encourage women to stand for elected office. Activities under this program began in FY 1996.
Description: This program aims at three results: (1) advocacy on behalf of the interests of the poor strengthened; (2) quality of elections enhanced; and (3) competence of local elected bodies to identify and meet voter needs strengthened. Activities related to the first result include programs to assist local voters and community associations to become more informed about resource flows, policies and programs that affect them and to strengthen their ability to interact with local elected bodies over such issues. Those related to the second result include programs to make voters more aware of polling procedures, their voting rights and the campaign standards to which they can hold political actors and election officials accountable. Activities related to the third result, programs to enable locally elected officials to be better informed about and more responsive to citizen interests and to encourage more women to stand for election.
Host Country and Other Donors: Activities will be carried out primarily through nongovernmental or private developmental organizations. Accordingly, it will be difficult for the government to provide financial support for the program. The government, however, will be expected to provide appropriate approvals to the organizations conducting program activities. In 1996, USAID and eight bilateral donors collaborated on supporting domestic election observation activities. It is expected that such collaboration will expand as the activities under this program become more widely known.
Beneficiaries: Ultimate beneficiaries are the approximately 50 million socially and economically disadvantaged Bangladeshis who, by becoming better informed about democratic processes institutions, and issues, will be better able to exert their influence over public policy decisions and the allocation of public resources. Intermediary beneficiaries include members of local associations who are trained in advocacy techniques, locally elected officials who are introduced to new ways of interacting with voters, and women who are encouraged to stand for election.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements activities through The Asia Foundation, the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, a Bangladeshi NGO, and sub-grantees of these organizations.
Major Results Indicators:
PROGRAM: BANGLADESH
TITLE AND NUMBER: More Accessible and Equitable Justice, Especially for Women, 388-SO08
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $1,680,000 (DA)
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1996; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2000
Purpose: To increase awareness of legal rights and obligations; the quality alternate dispute resolution; and the capacity of independent garment workers to bargain collectively.
Background: During spring 1995, USAID/Bangladesh conducted extensive interviews with the socially and economically disadvantaged peoples of Bangladesh to determine their democratic needs. These interviews showed the poor valued equitable justice highly and preferred to seek it through informal dispute resolution mechanisms because they were blocked from seeking legal redress through the formal court system by inadequate knowledge of their legal rights and limited incomes.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID support has encouraged five existing NGOs to provide legal awareness training to approximately 2,000 activists, establish a regional resources and training center for legal awareness programs, developed the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, and helped these groups mediate more than 5,000 cases (56% on behalf of women) and settle approximately 1,000 court cases in target communities. USAID support has also helped form the Bangladesh Independent Garment-workers Union, the first independent, democratically organized union in Bangladesh with a membership of approximately 40,000 workers (90% of whom are women).
Description: This strategic objective encompasses ways to spread understanding and respect for the legal rights of the socially and economically disadvantaged on a nationwide basis, and broaden the availability and use of local channels to resolve disputes fairly. Activities related to this strategic objective include: (1) nonformal education on human rights and legal affairs for the poor and those elites involved in resolving disputes locally; (2) nonformal mediation skills training for those involved in dispute resolution at the local level; and (3) technical guidance on the organization and operation of an independent, democratic union for garment workers.
Host Country and Other Donors: Activities will be carried out primarily through non-governmental or private developmental organizations. Accordingly, it will be difficult for the government to provide financial support for the program. However, it will be expected to provide appropriate approvals to the organizations conducting program activities. The ILO and UNICEF are involved with child labor issues in the garment industry.
Beneficiaries: The ultimate beneficiaries are the approximately 50 million socially and economically disadvantaged Bangladeshis whose understanding of their legal rights and access to redress will be increased. Intermediate beneficiaries include those individuals who receive training in mediation skills and alternate dispute resolution techniques and members of the Bangladesh Independent Garment-workers Union.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements legal awareness and dispute resolution activities through The Asia Foundation, the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, a Bangladeshi NGO, and sub-grantees of these organizations. Activities related to collective bargaining are carried out through the Asian-
American Free Labor Institute.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline Target
Number of village mediation
councils using "best practices"
increased. 0 (1995) 5,000 (1999)
Percentage of registered marriages
in target communities increased. TBD 80% (1999)
Number of BIGU members increased. 40,000 (1995) 100,000 (1998)