Post Aila Coastal Area
Quest for sustainable livelihood
There are many like Monira bracing the brunt of climate change effect.
Monira (22) lives with his only child (03) in a hut made of polythene and gole pata, very close to her father's house, on the crossdam of Dakkhin Bedkashi under Koyra upazila of Khulna. The house and dress tell the tale of her being a climate victim.
She lives by working in people's house since her divorce two and half years back. Her father is a poor fisherman who goes for fishing in nearby Sundarbans forest. One of her brother was killed by tiger. One is ill. And one is yet little. The only earning member is her father. That's why she needs to work in other people's house.
The area is rude, even no grass grows in Dakkhin Bedkashi. Monira bought a goat about one year back with 2500 taka. As there is high crisis of fodder, she sold it at only 1300 taka.
What can be done to improve the livelihood condition of the people like Monira when general IGA activities do not work in the climate affected areas? Salinity is a major problem in the locality. Besides crops it also affects poultry and cattle.
Introduction of alternative variety and species of livestock and ensuring fodder for them may improve livelihood in the coastal area. Vegetable cultivation is already possible in Koyra which can be promoted by development organization besides government.
As a result of livelihood loss due to salinity, the community people have became dependent on fishing and daily labour. Existing situation in the Aila affected community of Koyra, Khulna is that the inhabitants are marginal people living in extreme poverty. Their condition has deteriorated much more after the Aila cyclone.
Insecure livelihood
Salinity in soil and water and consequent lack of dependable resources are the main causes of insecure livelihood in the coastal belt. Due to rising sea level, saline water intrusion has crossed its historical limit and salinated the fresh water sources making drinking water a scarce resource. Similarly, due to salinity increase in the water channels soil of coastal districts is also getting salinated that makes agricultural production almost impossible. Livestock rearing also has experienced a drastic fall. Height of daily tides also increased due to sea level rise. The final thrust of the adversity is the cyclone hit. All the effects of salinity occurs very quickly during a cyclone surge.
Employment status
The local people of Koyra upazila under Khulna district and Assasuni upazila under Satkhira district have not sufficient work to earn a living in their native places. According to a baseline report of ADRRCCA project of Islamic Relief Bangladesh 24% people in Koyra and 14% in Assasuni are landless. However, the local people are harnessing the following sustenance: selling green vegetable, ferrying cloth, ferrying cosmetics, grocery shop, tea stall, selling food stuffs.
Many natural as well as socio-economic conditions foster insecure livelihood in the coastal areas which ultimately produces various psychosocial consequences for the community people. The following are consequences of livelihood loss:
Direct Psycho-social consequences: frustration of people due to low wage, lack of employment opportunity.
Ultimate consequences: poor health, poverty, lawlessness and insecurity, displacement of people.
Only some vegetables grow at coastal homesteads, hardly any staple anywhere in the saline affected land.
Potential livelihood options
Though devastated by Aila the locality holds a few options of livelihood which can be scaled up to bring about positive changes in the socio-economic system. In the current situation, following occupations hold some promise for the community people: small business, raising poultry, employment in factory.
IR Bangladesh is implementing a project where following alternative livelihood options are promoted: saline tolerant crop and vegetable cultivation, saline tolerant tree plantation (fruits and wood), reed and mat production, salinity tolerant fish cultivation, crab cultivation and fattening, productive asset transfer.
Interventions demand of time
Many organisation must come forward with all such assistance. Many other women in Koyra have similar condition like Monira. They can develop their life if proper support like loan, linkage with service providers and marketing facilities are provided. The following interventions may be very beneficial for the local community of Koyra, finds a baseline survey conducted by ACS international:
• Arranging training for skill development
• Relief for the poorest and most vulnerable families
• Financial support (loan or donation) for small business
Following component should be included in the Integrated development program for Aila affected coastal belt:
• Production orientation for business planning
• Strengthening value chain and market linkage
• Health and nutrition programme
• Organisation building
• Gender and development programme
Whatever the cause cyclone, climate change, global warming or anything else, the people of coastal areas are by no means responsible for the miseries they have to undergo. Since, Aila no crops grow, not even fruits, no fresh water fishes -- how the people can support themselves with only some vegetables that grow in front of their houses. In one word, their miseries know no bound. But what government is doing there? Has it allocated extra fund for rapid rehabilitation or providing livelihood supportive training or loan for business? Rather, hard to reach areas get less development fund as fund is allocated based on the population size. Even the efforts by development organisations are also very meager. The developed countries should mobilize extra fund for compensation of the damages done by catastrophic disasters since now it is proved that number and intensity of cyclonic storm in the coastal area of Bangladesh are enhancing because of the global warming.
The writer works for Islamic Relief Worldwide, Bangladesh Office and can be reached at mahfujur.rahman@islamicrelief-bd.org.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments