| Abstract | Material and life losses are endemic from building settlements in the frequently devastated
floodplains and riverbank erosion-prone areas. Whereas excess flooding routinely destroys crops
and damages property, more devastating effect takes place from loss of land due to river
encroachment since it washes away the permanent settlements deep into riverbed with
simultaneous loss of main source of living - the cultivable land. This problem is manifestly
present in the large river and coastal belt of the deltaic area that comprises Bangladesh.
Population displacement due to riverbank erosion is widespread in parts of the country. Although
some households do move to safer areas and build safer settlements, many merely relocate within
the same area that has either been already affected or bears known vulnerable characteristics.
Despite their general vulnerability, the erosion-prone regions are also known to contain areas that
are comparatively safe for settlement building. This study sought to document this and examine
the scope of relocating settlements in safer areas, wherefrom it should still be possible to make
use of land and water resources. The idea is to encourage settlement building at a safer distance
away from immediate location of cultivable land, water and other natural resources in areas which
are known to have vulnerable characteristics.
The investigation of this scope included in-depth study of the awareness and adjustment
behavior of erosion-prone people, prospect of safe distance land and other resource management,
and potential of economic diversification using local resources. The field survey for the purpose
was conducted in Hizla thana, a severe riverbank erosion-prone area in Bangladesh. Despite the
area's extreme proneness to erosion, the thana have safer areas for settlement building. This safevulnerable differentiation is made on the basis of the erosion history, nearness to river, present
erosion state and existing embankment protection. A sample of 3 81 households were surveyed
from both the safe and vulnerable areas to study the problems and prospects of vulnerable
household densification in safer areas. Key findings of the survey include the following.
The majority of households are aware of the damaging impacts of erosion and even
succeed in realizing the fruits from settling in safer places. But often this takes place only after
repeated experience and loss from erosion. Being helpless to prevent it, initially they pay more
attention to immediate interests (e.g. raising a quick crop even from extreme vulnerable land)
rather than the danger of erosion. This helplessness also tends to nurture fatalism. The migration
and adjustment behavior of dislodged residents show that after the experience of the first couple
of erosions, the majority of households settle near to their eroded land in an unplanned manner.
But gradually, with the increase in erosion effects, they realize the risk of living in vulnerable
area, especially from the distressing experience from early erosions, and finally tend to move in
a planned fashion and avoid staying in vulnerable lands. However they cannot think of moving
to distant lands due to kin attachment, financial disadvantage, and total dependence on farming.
Other significant deterrents on moving are lack of marketable education and skills and the hope
of getting back the lost land from possible land accretion. The erosion-affected households are
also found to gradually decrease their dependence on farming as sole occupation and get involved
more in small businesses and fishing as time passes. The majority of both the affected and
unaffected groups are found to adopt one or more secondary occupations suggesting the growing
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awareness of households of the need to bring down reliance on only one occupation and adoption
of contingency measures for coping with the consequences of erosion losses.
The resource base of the studied area includes a large number of small and big charlands -
fertile but unsafe. Those who settle near to their farmland in these charlands as well as not yet
eroded land despite the known risk of erosion, do this mainly for convenience of access to land,
saving time on travel and avoiding risk of commuting by unsafe river transports. The safe
distance land cultivation is seen in this study as a mean to utilize land and water resources,
thereby, maintain basic farm employment and output. The respondents in the study showed
eagerness to the scope of staying in safer areas, conducting farming by commuting from a safe
distance, and starting business along with farming for additional income and as a safeguard
measure. They are also forward-looking to moving into safer places for deriving benefits from
the infrastructure and utilities that exist there. The study also reveals that the safer area residents
are better educated and economically better-off They participate more in salaried jobs, businesses
and other non-farm activities; whereas, the vulnerable area residents are more involved in fishing,
farming and as agricultural labor. The displacees solely relying on agriculture and having no
education or non-farm skills tend to stay near to their eroded land and plunge into a downward
spiral of overall well-being. On the other hand, displacees having some non-farm occupation,
education, and skills migrate to safer areas and are able to improve their economic condition;
even those who are engaged in farming in the safer area are better-off than their counterparts in
the vulnerable area. These findings together with the fact of uneven population distribution in
safer areas (i.e. varied density) suggest the sense and scope of settlement building in safer areas.
The helping hands that are commonly forwarded with community spirit to those in distress can
be counted upon in absorption of new settlers in these areas without necessarily threatening
anybody's interest.
Overall, the study thus lend a strong support to scope of densification and economic
diversification in the study area. For realization of this, development strategy should make use
of the local resources for enterprise development. For giving support to the already prevailing
signs of economic diversification, small-scale enterprises (e.g. ice plants, rice mills, 'hogla'
productions) relying on the local resources can be supported by the provision of credit and
assistance in product promotion and marketing. A crucial need is that of an improved water
transportation system - modernized for safe, timely, and fast movement of people and goods
between the safe and vulnerable areas. Total local employment effect from an improved
transportation will be positive since it will create many new economic activities and support
services. High fertility of the charlands can be basis for a well-planned seasonal cropping and
creation of additional farm employment. Development of fresh water swamp forestry along the
embankment will strengthen the safety against erosion. The area's vast expanse of riverlines and
numerous water bodies offer an excellent scope for strengthening the fishing industry. Fishing
cooperatives, with capacity of financing and marketing effectively, can help this industry to
flourish in this water body rich area. Thus, densification of settlements in safer areas and
diversification of economic activities are not something vastly different than what has already
been taking place in terms of new settlements and economic activities, or what people would like
to do. |