Coping with Riverbank Erosion Hazard and Displacement in Bangladesh: Survival Strategies and Adjustments (original) (raw)
Related papers
Asian Social Science, 2014
It is reported that flood and riverbank erosion together intensify the process of pauperization in rural areas of Bangladesh. Riverbank erosion often destroys cultivable land, dislocates human settlements and also at the same time, damages the growing crops; massively disrupts road-linkages and communication infrastructure in the country. With this situation, this paper generates empirical data on two coastal villages located in two different regions of the country showing evidence of displacement of the total way of life due to flood and riverbank erosion. Due to this natural calamity, the victims have to adapt to the changing environmental conditions, and consequently they adopt many socio-political, economic and cultural strategies in order to survive in the face of the plethora of problems. Flood and river bank erosion displacees try to gain control over their environment through their multi-dimensional adaptation strategies. This paper thus locates the indigenous strategies and mechanisms that the displacees usually adopt to grapple with the catastrophic effects of flood and erosion in the coastal areas of rural Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is one of the most disaster prone countries around the world with severe cyclone, destructive flood and associated river bank erosion. River bank erosion is one of the major natural calamities of Bangladesh that took place in almost every year. It is a recurrent and highly unpredictable phenomenon. Two unions of Bauphal Upazila (Dhulia and Najirpur) under Patuakhali districts are also affected by river bank erosion. A field survey was carried out to assess the status of river bank erosion and population migration. Focuses of the study are to identify the nature of relationship between river bank erosion and population displacement and to evaluate the socio-economic condition of people in Bauphal Upazila under Patuakhali District. Most of the family size of the study area was medium category (50%) among the respondents (54%) were literate. Most of the respondents (80%) were involved in fishing. Majority (76%) respondents used drinking water from deep tube wells and their sanitation facility were satisfactory (68%) use kacha latrine and (24%) use semi pacca latrine. Most of the respondents (74%) were landless and average land holding of the respondents were 0.54%. Majority respondents (50%) displaced one time during their life time. Among them (65%) displaced permanently and (35%) displaced temporarily. This study describes and explains the estimation of river bank erosion in the study area and human adjustment due to the river bank erosion. Most of the people are suffering a lot of problem, i.e., people loss their homestead area and house, facing economic problems, shifting their occupation also and migrated from one place to another place. Most of the people are unable to regain their eroded land and newly developed char lands. For this hazards social instability also increase is affected area such as political instability.
Int. J. Migration and Residential Mobility, 2019
Bangladesh is situated in riverine and deltaic region in South Asia where riverbank erosion is a catastrophic climate induced disaster in Bangladesh. The present study has been undertaken to investigate the impact of riverbank erosion on lives and livelihoods of the displaced people in the SouthEastern Bangladesh. Both quantitative and qualitative data have been used through in-depth interviews, focus group discussion and questionnaire survey. The study reveals that riverbank erosion is addressing displacement, hidden hunger and poverty, loss of land and identity of coastal people. Besides, displaced persons face social, economic, cultural stigma in their community. People have used different types of indigenous knowledge to reduce the sufferings of the affected people. The findings of this study are vital for policymakers to articulate and implement effective approaches and programs to reduce vulnerability and to increase the local adaptation processes in order to improve such households' livelihood all over Bangladesh.
Springer Climate, 2021
Human migration is one of the worst possible effects triggered by riverbank erosion. Riverbank erosion is a frequent event in Bangladesh, with severe consequences such as land loss and forced migration. This research is intended to understand the process and pattern of human migration due to riverbank erosion at a small administrative unit of a coastal District Bhola located in the Meghna estuary in Bangladesh. This study was conducted on the basis of primary data following a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey and focus group discussion (FGD). In this paper, we argue that riverbank erosion has a long-term impact on livelihood security of displaced people. A significant portion of migrants have changed their livelihood occupation. The displaced people have shifted their shelter to live in road-come-embankment (A road-come-embankment is a thick wall of earth that is built to carry a road or railway over an area of low ground, or to prevent water from a river or the sea from flooding the area. They climbed a steep embankment), annually leased land, and "housing without rent for humanity" provided by the local government. Displaced people have scattered all over the study area as well as nearby and adjoining higher administrative units as in-migrants. People have also migrated to large cities such as Dhaka and nearby
2021
Riverbank erosion, a regular natural phenomenon in the lower confluence deltaic country like Bangladesh. Among the natural disaster effecting Bangladesh each year, river bank erosion is the most vulnerable in term of effected people and loss of assets. As a riverine country there are huge number of rivers and their tributaries and distributaries criss-crossed over the country, but the mighty three rivers like the Padma, Jamuna and Meghna are mostly known for the erosional characteristics. River bank erosion possesses as a significant, endemic and recurrent natural disaster in Bangladesh by these rivers. This research is designed to explore the erosional pattern of the river Jamuna and its impact on population migration and the adaptation strategy of the migrants. For the study primary data were collected from the study area through questionnaire survey, FGD and mapping analysis while secondary data were collected from published and unpublished reports of different offices such as la...
Impact of Riverbank Erosion on Population Migration and Resettlement of Bangladesh
Science Journal of Applied Mathematics and Statistics
This study is concerned with riverbank erosion and population migration which has more impact on Bangladesh. The study is highly subject to riverbank erosion. Origin and Destination survey method are used for finding population migration and resettlement pattern and tracking population migration and resettlement. Riverbank erosion is causing socioeconomic and environmental problems in Bangladesh. Different research had identified that people who suffered from riverbank erosion ended up as landless migrated people and this migration is a major contributory factor to recurrent poverty in Bangladesh. The study was found that two-third people migrate permanently one union to another union because they get support from their neighbors, relatives, friends and they also stay here due to low living cost comparatively another area. There are no specific policies to rehabilitate the erosion-hit people. Thus, it is time to formulate policies to address prevention of riverbank erosion as well as to rehabilitate the river-erosion migrants.
Adaptation to river bank erosion induced displacement in Koyra Upazila of Bangladesh
Progress in Disaster Science, 2019
River bank erosion negatively affects on people and their livelihood with their economic, social and psychological distress increasing over the time. Most of the people are vulnerable and their economic condition are fragile for internally displaced in Dakshin Bedkashi, Choramukha and Ghorilal villages of Koyra riverine area of Khulna district. Mixed research methods including quantitative and qualitative approach was applied by survey method, Key Informant Interview (KII), and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to collect information. Most of the people do not exists sustainable livelihood framework (SLF) due to the acute poverty for river erosion. About 82.49% respondents' house were fully damaged and 26.27% respondents live besides the roads and embankments due to erosion. About 85.02% respondents were internally displaced/migrated or becoming homeless due to Kapothaksma and Shakbaria river erosion. About 76.27% respondents' occupational status were affected severely, 48.39% changed their livelihood and engaged with catching fish, 28.34% households suffer tremendous food crisis, 36.18% respondents' income is decreasing, 32.02% loss their land, and 91.94% respondents suffer psychological stress like anxiety, depression, dizziness, insomnia, unsteady gait, post traumatic stress disorder, somatoform etc. due to river erosion. About 94.24% and 34.10% respondents cope up, adjusted or adapted by reducing meals and extra workload. 75.58% respondents borrowed money from GO, NGOs, Mahajon, Cooperatives , and Relatives with high interest. 81.11% and 33.64% respondents adjusted or adapted by decreasing rate of school going children and adjusted through drop out their child from formal education due to river erosion. In this paper, it is observed as risk that river bank erosion is causal factors of migration, vulnerability and hindrances of rural socioeconomic , cultural, psychological and environmental development. The people who affected by river bank erosion immediately migrate for safe shelter and later permanently for survival.
Human responses to riverine hazards in Bangladesh: A proposal for sustainable floodplain development
World Development, 1993
Since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the country experienced four abnormally high floods. This study examines causes and impacts of the I988 flood and evaluates the range of possible human adjustments in mitigating such hazards. Although deforestation and other human modifications of the natural environment. through implementation of flood-related engineering schemes along the upstream reaches of the rivers, may partially cause abnormal floods in the downstream zones, the physical and geographical characteristics of the region provide much of the explanation. It is argued that physical prevention of floods. through means of "technological fix." is likely to pose serious threats to long-term sustainability of floodplain ecology and sociocultural resources of Bangladesh. 'This is a rev&cd version of a paper presented at the "Disasters: Vulnerability and Responses" conference, London, May 3-J. IYYI. Wc arc thankful to John R. Rogge. Disaster Rcxc;nch Unit. University of Manitoba, Marcia A. Fauricr.
Climate Change Management, 2021
The concept of resilience is a well-recognized field of study that is increasingly advanced among scholars, professionals, and practitioners. Resilience thinking helps to understand how a particular system works that incorporates both natural phenomena and social perspectives involving with disturbances, surprises, and uncertainty that affect socio-ecological systems. We argue resilience as the capacity of a system to evolve and function in a dynamic way through adaptive cycle where households and communities are linked to the problem of riverbank erosion in Bangladesh. Few studies have been conducted to understand how communities that face enormous threats and challenges related to chronic and acute riverbank erosions in the Bangladesh coastal delta. In this study, we explore and theorize how riverbank erosion impacts Lower-Meghna River basin community and their coping strategies
This paper aims at identify the number of climate induced migrants in kazipur upazila with specific reference to riverbank erosion. The study has used Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj for riverbank erosion, which is already identified as the most erosion prone area in Bangladesh. People affected by river bank erosion and immediately migrate for safe shelter and later permanently for survival, are examples of practical risk. While people migrate based on the perception that in future there would be worse condition that could hamper lives and livelihood; the adverse effect of rise of riverbank erosion compels the population to migrate from one place to another. In the Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj district, 21,961 people were migrated which is 9.35 percent of the total population in recent years [1]. The precise cause of riverbank erosion in Bangladesh there are 1,29,853 people are displaced yearly [2]. Permanent migration occurred within the neighbors and mainly it happened in a tiny distance because of the need of earning source and social bonding. In this paper we have considered observed risk such as river bank erosion as causal factors of migration and rural vulnerability, which has important socioeconomic impact on rural development.