Abstract:
Every water resource project has its own objectives, mainly to reduce the losses or to
improve people's quality of life thus helping poverty alleviation. The Tripalli Flood
Control and Drainage (FCD) sub project located in Tungipara upazilla of Gopalgonj
district is such a project. The sub project area is surrounded by three rivers; the
Modhumoti, Ghagar Orsaildah and Tungir Gang. These three rivers are
interconnected by some narrow channels. In addition, three canals, which are
connected with the Ghagar Orsaildah river, enter into the sub project area. Any rise
in water level at any point of these rivers causes a rise in water level at the connected
canals and creates water logging problem inside the villages. The project was
implemented to alleviate such problem and thereby to reduce poverty. The aim of the
study is to evaluate the impact of the Tripalli sub project on poverty alleviation by
using participatory poverty assessment tools. Focus group discussions and interviews
were used to choose the poverty indicators. The indicators based on economic and
social conditions of a family were used to categorize each family under better off,
average, poor and very poor groups. For economic indicators, the lower and upper
limit for better off, average, poor and very poor groups are 57-64, 42-56, 24-41 and
16-23, respectively. For social indicator, the 100yerlimit and upper limit for better off,
average, poor and very poor groups are 25-28, 15-24, 8-14, and 7, respectively. The
impacts are evaluated following the before and after project approach considering
1996 as base year and 2010 as current year. The results of this study show that the
changes in cropping pattern, cropping intensity, crop yield, employment opportunity
. .
and flood damage related maintenance cost are positive in current year. Compared to
the base year, the number of families in current year in better off group has increased
by 15.38%, in average group by 35.92%, in poor group by 30.88% and in very poor
group this number has decreased by 87.18%. The annual rate of poverty reduction is
1.07% within the project area during ~996-20 1a whereas the poverty level has
increased by 0.12% per year in Khulna Division during 2000-2005. Literary, the
project contribution to poverty reduction is 1.19% per year. Though the number. of
poor families has increased, the number of very poor families has decreased
significantly. The main objective of a FCD project is to improve the condition of
very poor group. In that respect the Tripalli sub project can be considered as a
successful project.
