Assessment of vulnerability of people in a waterlogged area of Bangladesh: a case study of keshabpur thana

Abstract

Water logging has been disrupting livelihoods of about one million people in Bangladesh during the past two decades. South-west region of the country is prone to water logging due to its vulnerable geographical setting and climate change. The worst hydro-geophysical vulnembility has been observed in Keshabpur Thana under Jessorc district where over 85 percent of land has been water logged for over seven years. Study area of this research includes Trimohini, Sagardari, Bidyanandakathi and Sufolakathi Unions ofKeshabput Thana. This thesis attempts to a~sess the social and environmental vulnerability of people in Keshabpur Thana along with people's coping practices. These objectives have been achieved mainly through Participatory Vulnerability Assessment (PVA) method. The research also assessed the effectiveness of ongoing Government and Non Government projects in the area through questionnaire survey, Marginal fanners and poor wom",n have been identified as the most vulnerable groups. Their limited bounce back capacity makes them more vulnemble in waterlogged condition. It has lJet,n found that these two groups response differently during water logging as they are differently vulnerable. Access to instinllioll5, institutional affiliation, coping related training tacilitics etc. largely contribme in developing their self esteem and developing their ability to bounce back from vulnenlble state. The major fmdings of the research revealed that agricultural livelihood, housing, food security and education are some socially vulnerable areas of Keshabpur Thana. Environmentally the area is also vulnerable due to the poor performance of drinking water, sanitation and health care facilities. People pmctice indigenous coping to survive in ,vater logging, though there is a limited institutional dlbrl in strengthening coping mechanism in the study area. Migration, unfortunately, is a new phenomenon in the Thana due to water logging induced livelihood loss. m The research identified some effective programs of Government Organizations and NGOs in context of water logging such as Kabodak reexcavation, canal excavation, eommWlitybased embankment construction, reducing livelihood risk project (llldring based vegetable gardening etc. Constraints towards reducing people's vulnerability havc been identified as climate change, poor coordination between stakeholders, limited institutional coping, lack of gender sensitive initiative etc. Finally, Keshabpur should be brought under a national regional plan 10 order to remove water logging. Facilitating drainage of water is the greatest perceivable coping, which is far beyond the capacity of individual person or a small water logged community. Only the authority can plan and execute an emergency water removal/drainage program. Finally, a gendered approach of integrated planning is necessary at all level for the actual henefit of the vulnerable population in Keshabpur.