LEDARS Bangladesh

What LEDARS Bangladesh does

LEDARS (Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society) is a Bangladesh-registered non-profit and non-political development organization founded in 1996, headquartered in Shyamnagar, Satkhira district in the southwest coastal region. The organization delivers climate adaptation, climate-smart agriculture, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), livelihood diversification, blue carbon conservation, gender empowerment, and humanitarian response programs to climate-vulnerable coastal communities across the Satkhira, Khulna, and Bagerhat districts, reaching 456K+ direct beneficiaries. Target populations include landless and marginal farmers, scheduled castes, laborers, women-headed households, children, adolescents, and forest-dependent communities around the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem.

Technically, LEDARS pilots and deploys a small portfolio of climate adaptation methods: solar-powered mobile reverse osmosis plants (imported and tested with CCECC, China) for off-grid safe drinking water, mini pond excavation to manage drought and excess rainfall, vermicompost production for soil recovery, climate-smart agriculture techniques including Alternate Wetting and Drying rice farming and salt-tolerant cultivars, and blue carbon monitoring in partnership with academic and international institutes. The organization does not develop commercial software products; its outputs are field interventions, training, seed and equipment distribution, community organizing, and policy advocacy.

LEDARS' business model is a typical project-based NGO model. Revenue is generated primarily through institutional grants from international development partners (Bread for the World, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Embassy of Sweden, Comic Relief UK, GAIN International, Meridian Institute, LiFE-NGO France) supplemented by individual donations via an online portal ($10 standard donation) and bank transfers. Programs are implemented directly by ~12-17 staff with support from community-based organizations including Women's Self-Help Groups, Union Climate Resilience Forums, and Community Climate Action Groups. Distribution relies on direct field implementation and coordination with local government structures (Upazila Parishad, Union Parishad, district administration). The organization has received international recognition including the Zayed Sustainability Prize (2023), World Water Forum 3rd Prize (2015), and IVLP (2012).

Name

LEDARS Bangladesh

Legal name

LEDARS – Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society

Website

https://ledars.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LEDARS Bangladesh is a non-profit development organization founded in 1996, headquartered in Shyamnagar, Satkhira, that delivers climate adaptation, WASH, sustainable agriculture, blue carbon, and livelihood programs to climate-vulnerable coastal communities in southwest Bangladesh across Satkhira, Khulna, and Bagerhat districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit climate adaptation and community development services

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Climate adaptation programs
• Community development services
• WASH interventions
• Non-profit NGO services
• Agricultural resilience programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Shyamnagar, Satkhira

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and organizational donations through online portal ($10 standard donation) and bank transfers to support program activities.
2. Institutional Grants and Funding: Funding from international development organizations, foreign governments, and foundations to implement climate adaptation, WASH, livelihood, and community development projects.
3. Project Implementation Services: NGO service delivery model implementing donor-funded development projects for marginalized coastal communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LEDARS Bangladesh is a non-profit development organization that designs and implements climate adaptation, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), livelihood, agricultural resilience, gender empowerment, blue carbon, and humanitarian response programs for climate-vulnerable coastal communities in southwest Bangladesh. Its work combines field-based program delivery, climate-smart agricultural training, safe drinking water infrastructure (including solar-powered reverse osmosis plants), and advocacy for loss and damage mitigation.

Product overview

LEDARS Bangladesh is a non-profit development organization, not a product company. It does not offer commercial products or software services. Its work consists of climate adaptation programs, community development initiatives, WASH projects, agricultural development, and livelihood support programs for vulnerable coastal communities in southwest Bangladesh.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strengthening Livelihood Security of Climate Change Vulnerable People (SLSCCVP) Multi-year donor-funded project delivering livelihood security support (climate-resilient seeds, organic fertilizer, agricultural training, rainwater harvesting, and pipeline water supply) to climate-vulnerable people in coastal Bangladesh. Funded by Bread for the World.
• Community-based Resilience, Women's Empowerment and Action (CREA) Multi-year program promoting women's rights, gender equity, and climate resilience in coastal communities. Funded by Manusher Jonno Foundation and the Embassy of Sweden.
• Strengthening Transformative Action for Resilience (STAR) Resilience program operating in Batiaghata upazila of Khulna District, in partnership with LiFE-NGO (France).
• Climate Action at Local Level (CALL) Program strengthening food systems of coastal communities in Shyamnagar and Kaligonj upazilas. Funded by GAIN International.
• Resilient Institution for Scaling-up Empowerment (RISE) Empowerment and resilience program operating in Satkhira, Khulna, and Bagerhat districts. Funded by Comic Relief, UK.
• Youth Climate Lab: Youth Climate Action at Local Level (Youth CALL) Youth-focused climate action program engaging young people in coastal communities as climate leaders and future organizers.
• Resilient Ecosystems & Sustainable Communities to Uphold the Sundarbans Environment (RESCUE) Program for Sundarbans-impact-zone communities combining ecosystem conservation with sustainable livelihoods and alternative income generation.
• Blue Carbon Project Blue carbon conservation initiative in the Sundarbans implemented with Meridian Institute and University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), monitoring mangrove ecosystems and supporting community-based blue carbon activities.
• Loss and Damage Mitigation Program Capacity-building program enhancing the ability of climate-vulnerable coastal communities to mitigate climate change-induced loss and damage, including post-cyclone dignity kit distribution and disaster preparedness.
• Zayed Sustainability Prize Initiative Program continuation following LEDARS' 2023 Zayed Sustainability Prize award, advancing innovative and sustainable climate adaptation and community development solutions in coastal Bangladesh.
• Humanitarian Response Program Action-oriented humanitarian response and crisis mitigation program for vulnerable coastal communities in Bangladesh, including post-cyclone family assistance and emergency relief.
• Online Donation Program Website-based donation program for global supporters, with a standard online donation of $10 and bank transfer options for larger contributions to support LEDARS' climate adaptation and community development activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 456K+ population directly benefiting from programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Meridian InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner for Securing Blue Carbon Ecosystems project in the Sundarbans, working with University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.
• University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for blue carbon research and project implementation in Sundarbans impact zone.
• LiFE-NGO (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for STAR (Strengthening Transformative Action for Resilience) project in Batiaghata upazila of Khulna District.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Practical Action Bangladesh: INGO working on climate-resilient livelihoods, renewable energy, and disaster preparedness in Bangladesh. Comparable to LEDARS for its focus on poor communities, climate-smart technology, and coastal/southwest Bangladesh programming.
• WaterAid Bangladesh: Country office of WaterAid focused exclusively on WASH access in Bangladesh, including coastal salinity-affected areas. Comparable to LEDARS on its WASH technologies (solar-powered RO, rainwater harvesting) and community-led water access programming.
• COAST Trust: Bangladesh-based NGO focused on climate change adaptation, disaster preparedness, and livelihood support in coastal communities. Highly comparable to LEDARS in geography (coastal Bangladesh), target population (climate-vulnerable poor), and program focus on climate resilience and WASH.
• ActionAid Bangladesh: Federation member organization of ActionAid International focused on women's rights, climate justice, and disaster response in Bangladesh. Comparable to LEDARS for climate-justice advocacy, women's empowerment (CREA-style programming), and emergency response (Cyclone Remal relief).
• Friendship NGO: Bangladesh NGO providing healthcare, education, and climate adaptation services to remote char and coastal communities through floating and static clinics. Directly comparable to LEDARS for its focus on climate-vulnerable, geographically isolated populations and integrated community development.

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: World's largest development NGO, headquartered in Bangladesh, with programs spanning microfinance, climate adaptation, WASH, agriculture, and disaster response nationwide. Comparable as a Bangladesh-rooted development organization operating in coastal regions with overlapping programmatic themes.
• Caritas Bangladesh: National humanitarian and development organization of the Catholic Church in Bangladesh, working on disaster response, livelihoods, and climate adaptation across multiple districts. Comparable to LEDARS as a larger, multi-district incumbent with overlapping climate and humanitarian focus.
• Concern Worldwide Bangladesh: INGO working on extreme poverty, climate adaptation, and livelihoods in Bangladesh. Comparable to LEDARS on climate resilience programming for marginalized coastal communities but at larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Emerging players

• Plan International Bangladesh: INGO focused on children's rights, youth empowerment, and climate resilience in Bangladesh, including coastal communities. Comparable to LEDARS' Youth CALL program and youth engagement focus (8.6K youth engaged in climate action).

Others

• IUCN Bangladesh: Country office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature working on ecosystem-based adaptation, Sundarbans conservation, and blue carbon. Comparable to LEDARS for its work on blue carbon ecosystems in the Sundarbans impact zone and conservation focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ledarsbd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LEDARS Bangladesh