Research Report on

Strategy

of

Achieving Resilient Livelihood for Responsible Wellbeing

for

Haor Livelihood Programme

managed & implemented by

Oxfam Hong Kong (OHK) &

PNGOs

Submitted by

Shashanka Saadi

S N Azad

Khaled Hossain

Tanzina Haque

&

Team

Third & Final Draft 10 Dec. 2010

2

CONTENTS Page

Acronyms and Glossary 5

CONTEXT 6 Definition of Livelihood strategy 6

Rationale of the Title of the Report 6

Key objectives 7 Methodology for the research 8

Approach 8

Areas covered by the research 8

Tools 8

Demographic profile of the research subjects 10

Limitations and considerations of the research 10

Report formulation and finalization 10

Research Outputs 10

FIELD FINDINGS – PERCEPTION AND EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE 11

Location maps 11

Upazilla maps 12

Community brief 13

Livelihood – Vulnerability indexes (socio- economic- political) 14

Educational background in the communities 16

Health security 16

Food security 17

Mobility and exposure pattern 18

Practices of dowry / early marriage / domestic violence / divorce (by women) 18

Gender discrimination 18

Mediation and Legal aid 20

Perception on risks and risk reduction 20

Status of key dimensions of responsible wellbeing 21

Social safety coverage by group and with amenities – local government‟s role 22 Production and market 22

Migration as an alternative livelihood strategy 22

Migration as IGAs for women 23

Capacity building 23

Resource mobilization 24

WATSAN 24

Rights 24

Unavailability of actual statistics on the haor region 24

Existing coping and adaptation livelihood strategy of the poor in hour areas 25

Livelihood security – opportunities and obstacles for women 25

Major Occupations 26

Employment situation 27

Wage 27

Cropping pattern 27

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Page

Lifestyle and alternatives for nine idle months 27

Fishing and Fisheries in the Jalmahal 27

Land ownership and Dwelling 28 Kanda land 29 Credit from NGO vs. Dadondar 29 Institutional Support and accessibility 29

RECOMMENDATIONS ON A LIVELIHOODS STRATEGY FOR THE HAOR REGION 31

Challenging Choices: resilient livelihood for wellbeing of Poor people in haor region 31

Key Messages 31

Existing livelihood models 31

Constraints in the existing livelihood models 33

Project focus 33 Tools and methods 33 Measuring Impacts 33 Micro-meso-macro links 34

Linkages between vulnerability and livelihood protection 34 Missing the Technology 35

Typical features of this Strategy 36

Progression Path of this Strategy 36

Vision of the strategy 37

Expected Outcomes of the Livelihood Strategy 37

Oxfam‟s Work on Haor people 37

Approaches and focus 38

Women empowerment and livelihood security 38

The key outcome 38

Approach and strategy 38

Right to access and control over Resource and livelihood security 39

Health and Sanitation 40

Influencing Policy issues 40

Guide Grid for Haor Livelihood Strategy 41

Logical Framework of Strategy 43

Suggestive Activity Index for Community Development 48

Potential new occupations and changes in the communities 48

Health Security 49

Institutional Support & accessibility 49

Economic Security of women 49

Disaster risk reduction and human aid 50

Issues involved in livelihood strategy and responsible wellbeing includes 50

Women‟s agency development process 50

Support and initiative from state and stakeholders 50

Wellbeing & welfare issues – focus on the entitlement & social capital nexus 51

Awareness on rights & entitlements 52

Long term measures 52

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Page

Conclusion 52

Annexure

Annex 1 Field Findings 54 Annex 2 Checklists used during field research 66

Tables

Table 1: Types of Interviewee 9

Table 2: Basic Statistics on the research areas / Upazillas 13

Table 3: Status of key dimensions of responsible wellbeing 21

Table 4: Results of Vulnerabilities in relation to livelihoods 34 Table 5: Integrating Gender into the Livelihoods Framework 39 Table 6: Guide Grid for Haor Livelihood Strategy 41

Table 7: Logical Framework of Strategy 43 Figures

Fig. 1: Haor resources and basic community stakeholders at a glance 15

Fig. 2: Major Livelihood options in Haor 26 Fig. 3: Interaction between fishermen and lessee 28 Fig. 4: The pauperization process in haors 28 Fig. 5: Access to and support from Institutions in Haor region 30 Fig. 6: Sustainable Livelihoods Framework 32 Fig. 7: Haor region context in livelihood framework 33

Maps

Location Maps: Situating Tahirpur, Sulla and Astagram Upazilla in Bangladesh 11

Upazilla Maps: Maps of Tahirpur Sulla and Astagram Upazillas 12

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Acronyms and Glossary

ANC Ante Natal Checkup ASA One of the top NGOs of Bangladesh BARI Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute BBS Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics BRAC Top NGO of Bangladesh BRDB Bangladesh Rural Development Board

BRRI Bangladesh Rice Research Institute CBO Community Based Organisation CNRS Centre for Natural Resource Studies DAE Department of Agricultural Extension DC District Commissioner DFID Department For International Development

DLS Department of Livestock Services

DoF Department of Fisheries ENC Essential New Born Care FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FGD Focus Group Discussion GO Government Organisation GoB Government of Bangladesh

HH House Hold HIV/AIDS Human Immune-deficiency virus/Acute immune Deficiency Syndrome HYV High Yielding Variety IGA Income Generating Activities KI Key Informant KII Key Information Interview LGED Local Government Engineering Department

LGI Local Government Institution LH Livelihoods

NFE Non Formal Education NGO Non Government Organisation OHK Oxfam Hong Kong PDB Power Development Board

PNC Post Natal Checkup PNGO Partner NGO POPI A Non Government Organisation PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal REB Rural Electrification Board RWDO Reliant Women Development Organisation SMC School Management Committee

SSN Social safety net TBA Trained birth attendances UAO Upazilla Agriculture Officer UDMC Upazilla Disaster Management Committee

UNO Upazilla Nirbahi Officer UP Union Parishad VGD Vulnerable Group Development

VGF Vulnerable Group Feeding

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CONTEXT A haor (Bengali: হাওর ) is a wetland ecosystem in the north eastern part of Bangladesh

which physically is a bowl or saucer shaped shallow depression, also known as a back

swamp. In a country where one third of all area can be termed as wetlands, the haor

basin is an internationally important wetland ecosystem, which is situated in Sunamganj,

Habiganj and Moulvibazar districts and Sylhet Sadar Upazila, as well as Kishoreganj and

Netrokona districts outside the core haor area. It is a mosaic of wetland habitats,

including rivers, streams and irrigation canals, large areas of seasonally flooded

cultivated plains, and hundreds of haors and beels. This zone contains about 400 haors

and beels, varying in size from a few hectares to several thousand hectares. These haors

support major subsistence and commercial fisheries, while the seasonally flooded lake

margins support major rice-growing activities, and the abundant aquatic vegetation

provides rich grazing for domestic livestock and an alternative source of fuel and

fertilizers for the local people. The main crop grown in the haor basin is boro rice or dry

season rice. Early monsoon flash floods often cause extensive damage to the boro crop.

Protection in the form of full flood dykes or submersible dykes is being provided in some

of the developed areas.

Haors along with the rivers, canals and the floodplain, are a major source of fish

production. But, due to siltation, and harvesting of excessive amounts of fish to meet the

demand of growing populations production of fish from this source is gradually dwindling.

In recent years, the wetlands have also been used for rearing domestic ducks. Due to

scarcity of cultivable land, government lands (Khas land) including the wetlands are

increasing getting transferred to private ownership in Bangladesh. Thus most of the

haors and beels have now been sold or leased to private individuals for cultivation during

the dry season. This transfer is governed by the Haor Development Board Ordinance

(Ordinance No. IX of 1977) are under the direct control of the Revenue Department in

the Ministry of Land Administration and Land Reforms.

Definition of Livelihood strategy

A livelihood strategy is an organized set of lifestyle choices, goals and values, and

activities influenced by biophysical, political/legal, economic, social, cultural, and

psychological components.

Studies have shown that documenting the historical evolution, and present and emerging

patterns, of livelihood strategies is an essential foundation for successful development

and implementation of community-based strategies for development planning and

management.

Rationale of the title of the report:

The title of this report “Strategy of Achieving Resilient Livelihood for Responsible

Wellbeing” suggests that livelihood needs to be resilient and wellbeing will ideally be

responsible. As far as NGO and other development partner involvement is concerned,

resilient livelihoods means a process of livelihoods development that has inbuilt

mechanism of contingencies, monitoring and rebuilding after shocks and imbalances. This

resilience is fueled by individual agency but so far as this report is concerned

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development catalysts like NGOs and donor agencies are big partners in this process. A

sense of wellbeing can be seen in every individual regardless of their poverty situation

and position in the relative deprivation matrix. Responsible wellbeing is something one

needs to achieve over a period of time through strenuous negotiation process of

livelihood sustenance and collective development in living standard. In effect while the

former refers to individual effort and mindset, the latter clearly hints at a community

level situation.

Key objectives

OHK has already completed the process of initiating the discussion and sharing with the

partner‟s staff at the field level. At this state, OHK would like to engage with an external

resource to meet the following objectives:

o To facilitate the process for gathering a shared/common understanding of Haor

areas and the possible livelihood interventions that can contribute towards

delivering sustained impact in people‟s livelihoods and wellbeing;

o To bring about a common vision leading to responsible wellbeing through OHK‟s

livelihoods interventions;

o To identify the approaches and strategies for OHK and partners to realize the

vision.

In the process of reaching to above mentioned objectives, the following questions had to

be answered:

o What is the current poverty and vulnerability scenario in the haor region including

risks, trends, uncertainties, shocks, seasonality

o What are the existing the existing coping and adaptation livelihood strategies or

skill of the poor

o What are the emerging livelihood options for the poor and the factors which might

affect them

o How to design a programme that supports rural households that struggle to make

a living and to adapt their livelihood strategies to a changing environment?

o What interventions can support the development of sustainable livelihood

strategies and outcomes? – „sustainable‟ in the broad sense of the word i.e.

ecologically sound, economically viable, social (incl. gender) just, culturally

acceptable, boosting the poor‟s resilience, boosting the poor‟s ability to adapt

(to institutional changes, evolving vulnerabilities, new opportunities/constraints

etc.)?

o How can we work towards sustained, large-scale impact? – large-scale i.e. well

beyond the household or community level.

o How can we link „agency‟ to „structure‟ i.e. how can we link our local, technical

interventions to our agenda of broader institutional change?

o How to make the most efficient use of available resources?

o How to make choices regarding development interventions that take into account

the variety of livelihood situations of people?

o How to deal with the complexity of livelihoods and their context?

o How to combine different approaches (gender, livelihoods, agrarian systems, etc)

that foster learning and dialogue among partners?

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o How to include disadvantaged groups, their voices and visions of the future in the

formulation of development activities? How to involve poor people themselves in

designing possible interventions?

Methodology for the research

Approach:

This is a qualitative research. Hence tools have been chosen and mixed carefully. The

research techniques will be participatory and the key methods and tools for information

generation, analysis and presentation in relation to the objectives of the study would be

field visit, In-depth Key Informant Interview, Focus Group Discussion, Community

Consultation, consultations with local actors (Local Government Institutions), wealth

ranking, resource mapping, seasonal calendar, and case studies with individuals.

Areas covered by the research:

The research covered 2 Unions under each of the three Upazillas across two districts.

These included: Astagram Upazilla of Kishoreganj District and Tahirpur and Sulla

Upazillas of Sunamganj District. Unions included:

a) North Sripur and South Sripur Union under Tahirpur Upazilla,

b) Hobibpur and Bahara Union under Sulla Upazilla, and

c) East Astagram and Kastul Union under Astagram Upazilla.

Tools:

The intervention under the research for Haor Livelihood Programme Strategy

Development used different participatory tools and methods with the active participation

of the community people (farmers, fishermen, women, children, ethnic and religious

minority, community leaders, etc) and local actors (Local Government Institutions, local

administration, NGOs, local institution, professionals such media). This participatory

approach can best utilize local knowledge, concerns and priorities to enable the

community expressing and analyzing views in relation to the needs of the research.

The tools and methods have specific relevance and particular importance to Haor

Livelihood Programme Strategy Development. These, however, are not exclusive, rather

complements each other to have a proper assessment of the household livelihood

vulnerabilities and strategies to link it with development initiatives in haor region.

In total seven methods/tools were used. Again in PRA method six tools were used.

a. Secondary literature review

b. Consultative meeting with local level stakeholders

c. Key Informant Interview – KII

d. Focused Group Discussions - FGD

e. Case studies

f. PRAs

g. Consultative meetings / workshops with OHK and partners

9

The following describes individual tools and methods:

Secondary literature on haor, vulnerability, wellbeing, agency, and livelihoods strategies

were collected and reviewed. Programme related workshop papers, quarterly reports of

local partner NGOs and previous studies on the haor region focusing OHK programme

was also reviewed in the process. In the process more than 35 literatures were reviewed.

OHK and its local level implementing partners were consulted during the process to have

a clear idea and feed back on different checklists for interviews and research was sought.

A comprehensive consultative meeting was organized in one of the project Upazillas –

Sulla in Sunamganj, with participation from twenty available representatives/officers of

the Local Government Institutions like Union Parishads, Local Administration at the

Upazilla level, and Local Partner NGOs/NGOs to get their views and concerns.

Ten Key Informants were interviewed (KII) to tap knowledgeable people who gave

reliable and practical information about the vulnerabilities, needs and insights in the

project areas. In total seven key informants were interviewed at the field level and two

interviewed in Dhaka. These interviewees included:

Table 1: Types of Interviewee

Sl no. Types of interviewee - KII Details / remarks

1. Local Govt. Institution – LGI (Union Parishad – Female / Upazilla Chairman / Vice Chair)

2. Local Admin (agri / fisheries / livestock / social welfare /)

3. Local partner (NGO – CNRS)

4. Dhaka (ActionAid Bangladesh, CNRS & Concern Worldwide)

Two FGD or Focused Group Discussions were carried out in each of the three upazillas.

Six FGDs were done under the research.

Thirty six PRAs were done in all three Upazillas. PRA tools included:

1. Wealth ranking

2. Mobility mapping

3. Institutional mapping

4. Social Resource mapping

5. Seasonal calendar

6. Livelihood matrix

FGD and PRA tools were used to assess current poverty and vulnerability scenario,

livelihood options for the poor, mobility and level of exposure, available resources, crop

pattern, income option, stake, and occupation of a particular community. On an average

16-17 people participated in the PRA and FGD exercises.

Case studies were done to identify household level risks and vulnerabilities toward

sustainable livelihood of the poor and marginalized. Roughly eight to six to seven

occupations were covered in three Upazillas by the case studies. Women as head of the

household, person with disability and ethnic minority were covered under case study. A

total of eleven case studies were done.

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The preliminary findings, strategy framework have been shared at a coordination

meeting of the OHK and its partners. Inputs were sought, duly incorporated in the report.

Demographic profile of the research subjects:

Demographic profile of the subject of the research is as follows:

Female/Male ratio: 75:25

Age group: for PRA - 30 years & above. For case age was 50+

Occupation: Boatman / day labour (stone collection labour) / farmer /

fisherman / petty trader (shop owner) / opinion leader (teacher)

Limitations and considerations of the research:

Based on timing of the research and resources it was designed to enable people /

respondents to participate but had to be a less exhaustive affair in terms of their time.

Considerations during field investigation included: location, effect of disasters,

remoteness / accessibility, coping / adaptation, etc. factors. The research is not an

ethno-graphic one in nature. So, a qualitative insight of that length cannot be expected

and was not produced. Neither was it a quantitative one. Hence the study does not offer

exact and predictive models or frameworks in formulating a strategy.

Report formulation and finalization:

The study team used the workshop process to collate information and develop the

content of the report. Methodology of gender analysis was done following parameter

considering stress and shocks and opportunities. The draft report is being shared with

OHK for comments and suggestions. The final report will incorporate all other

suggestions and comments.

Research Outputs:

- A plan for developing the strategy

- A draft strategy for comments and discussion

- A final strategy incorporating comments from local partners and OHK staff

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FIELD FINDINGS – PERCEPTION AND EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE Towards a shared/common understanding of haor areas

The current poverty and vulnerability scenario in the haor region including risks,

livelihood types, uncertainties, shocks, seasonality, mobility, needs on specific issues and

practices in life, etc. are discussed in this section.

Location maps:

Source: Wikipedia

Astagram, Kishoreganj

Tahirpur, Sunamganj Sulla, Sunamganj

12

Upazilla maps:

Source: Banglapedia

13

Community brief:

There is hardly any incident of discrimination in class or communal and racial line in the

haor region. There are examples of regular support from the Muslims in needs of their

neighboring Hindu households. In turn Hindu families slaughter cows for the Muslims

invited in their weddings. These are some of the rare examples of communal harmony in

Bangladesh.

Table: 2 Basic Statistics on the research areas/Upazillas

Item Tahirpur Sulla Astagram

Area (sq km) 313.7 260.74 355.53

Total Unions 7 4 7 Unions

Total mouzas 131 67 59 Mauzas

Total number of villages 234 113 73

Population 1,64,655 89,941 1,32,303

Population Density (sq km) 1666 7084 678

Male 83,271 –

51.67% 45,944 – 51.08% 68,017 – 51.41%

Female 81,384 –

48.33%

43,997 –

48.92% 64,286 – 48.59%

No. of household 21987 13881 21077

Literacy rate 17.2% (7+ years) 21.8 38.2% (7+ years)

Population by Religion

and ethnicity

(%)

Muslim - 78.22

Hindu - 19.86

Christian - 1.03

ethnic nationals (Garo

and Hajang) - .89

Muslim - 48.03

Hindu - 51.09

Buddhist - 0.26

Christian - 0.08

others - 0.54

Muslim - 82.84

Hindu - 15.64,

ethnic nationals

and others -1.52

Schools & colleges

(madrasa, non-govt. reg.,

community primary,

satellite primary, lower

secondary, secondary)

60 150 68

Health Centres 9 5 3

Unemployment Ratio

(% of HH – house hold) 1.58% 2.15 % 1.63%

Improved Sanitation

Coverage (% of HH) 11.23% 14.98 % 13.85%

Improved Drinking Water

(% of HH) 81.30% 87.70 % 93.28%

Electricity Connection

(% of HH) 3.93% 5.13 % 12.56%

Land control among the

peasants (%)

46 – landless

12 - marginal

26 – small

12- intermediate

4 – rich

53 - landless

28.46 - small

13.20 - intermediate

5.34 - rich

36 - landless

20 – small

30 – intermediate

14 - rich

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Item Tahirpur Sulla Astagram

Main occupations (%)

Agriculture - 45.19

fishing - 2.42

agri labourer - 26.10

wage labourer - 6.39

commerce - 7.86

service - 2.67

others - 9.37

Agriculture - 59.35

fishing - 3.93

agri labourer - 20.40

commerce - 3.47

wage labourer - 3.10

service - 1.34

others - 8.41

Agriculture - 48.55

fishing - 3.43

agri labourer - 29.36

non agri labourer-2.47

commerce - 5.53

service - 1.75

others - 8.91

Land use (in hectares)

(in acre) cultivable land

- 58,918

(in acre) uncultivable

land - 430,03

Arable land - 19524.08

barren land - 1727.64,

cultivable land under

irrigation - 3.46%.

cultivable land - 22899.07

fallow land - 303.52

single crop- 79.24

double crops-19.50

treble crops land-1.26%

Communication facilities

Metalloid road – 8 km

pucca road - 0.5 km

mud road - 201 km

pucca road - 1.2 km

mud road - 210.26 km

pucca road - 2 km

mud road - 214 km

Source: District Development Coordination Committee and District Administration, 2002,

Wikipedia,

Population Census 1991

BBS, Jan 27, 2001

GramWeb: http://gramweb.net/regional_search.php

Banglapedia

Livelihood – Vulnerability indexes (socio- economic- political):

Most of the people‟s livelihood is related to agriculture, specifically with the mono

crop of paddy – Boro. Since 1977 the cropping pattern changed. High yield variety

„BR 29‟ was introduced and slowly became popular.

A large number in the population is also involved in fishing though they have little

access to the water bodies.

Government is supposed to lease open water bodies to the real fishermen through

samities. However, it is managed by the local influential elites.

A few numbers of households also produce and sell vegetables. Some

communities involve in craft business.

Traditional occupations: Rang joma1, day labourer in sand, stone, coal collecting,

loading and unloading. It is to note that people have little access to market and

deprived of fair price due to lack of knowledge of the market, information and

communication.

1 a form of contract which is locally seen as better than share cropping. Depending on the quality of the land

money or crop is shared up front and the rest remains with the farmer.

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Vulnerabilities:

Natural calamities (flash flood, flood, hailstorm, cold wave, fog)

Chronic indebtedness / vicious cycle of loan

Poor access to health, education, sanitation, safe drinking water, appropriate

institutional credit

Dispossession of real fishermen

Lack of IGA opportunities, particularly in lean period

Siltation of haor

Very difficult communication infrastructure during flood, rain, disaster,

Domestic violence against women

Figure 1: Haor resources and basic community stakeholders at a glance

Boatman

Cattle/duck keepers

Fishers

grazing landgrasses

crops/rice

fishSmall Farmers

water fruits

wild birds

mollusks

ducks

patipata

Craftsmen

Haor

water

vegetables

fuel wood

manure

Landless poor

haor

leaseholders

crabsGO

NGO

UP ?

Haor region resources and stakeholders

Reeds peat wildlife/swamp forest

Poor Women

Children

Hunters

Traders

Source: This figure has been adopted from presentation of Abu Sumon, UNDP Bangladesh, 2009

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Educational background in the communities

There is no normal atmosphere of education in these areas. According to government

documents forty eight percent people are educated in Sulla. But the actual percentage is

quite low. Schools lack sanitary latrines, tube wells. In Sulla drop out rate is thirty

percent. But a major portion of the remaining seventy percent does not or cannot go to

school regularly. They remain engaged in supporting their families as wage laborers, in

ripping paddy, fishing, collecting cow dung to use as fuel, etc. household chores. Girls

also drop out because of early marriage. Recruitment of teachers, attendance of teachers

at the school, distribution of stipends/scholarships are not regular. SMCs do not operate

effectively or regularly. They only provide signatures when needed. Monitoring is also

irregular. The other specific problems include:

a) scant education material

b) scarcity of teachers

c) lack of quality education and quality teachers

d) lack of development and refurbishment budget

e) bad condition of road and transport network

f) lack of nutrition of boys and girls

g) during harvesting season adolescent boys and girls are engaged in ripping

paddy

h) there are no haor specific high schools

i) stipend is given to children of the influential, children from poorer families

are often not listed for stipends

j) although stipend substitutes a possible additional income source for the

family, they often cannot afford the associated costs in education materials

Government rules suggest 120 kids have to go to a specific school in a single catchment

area. But in haor areas houses are dispersedly situated. No many children can come to a

single school from far fetched areas. Rather floating and smaller units of schools can be

floated to take care of the problem.

Education of the girls:

In the haor areas, enrollment of girls at the primary level is higher than that of the boys.

But dropout rate is high due to some reason. Early marriage, involvement in the

household chores like fuel collection, fishing for daily consumption, etc. has its affect on

the continuation of education. Some time they get to work in the field during the

harvesting period. During pick rainy season/monsoon the water level is high and it is

difficult to move from one mound (hati) to another. Since every mound does not have a

school continuation of education is severely disrupted.

Health security:

Health security scenario here can be seemed to be plagued by the following three points:

a) bad communication,

b) limited access to services, and

c) lack of awareness

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Transportation and communication system in haor area is in such a bad condition that

health workers cannot regularly visit the haor area. Women cannot get health

information and access health facilities as often. As a result they remain ignorant about

health. On the other hand health complexes are situated in the main land and it is

difficult to move the patient especially pregnant mother to health complex during an

emergency. Lack of trained birth attendances (TIB) is another factor contributing to the

high rate of child and mother mortality. Scarcity of clean water is another problem in

hygienic living of the people especially for the women in their monthly specific period.

People perceive that most of the diseases of women result of exorcism (bhut pret/ batash

laga) and they receive treatment in the form of incantation (jhar fuk) and Kabiraji. Due

to poverty and ignorance on health hygiene, malnutrition is common in the people‟s lives,

specifically for women and children.

Family planning is controlled by the male, i.e., husband. Lack of access to family

planning facilities and lack of recreational facilities contribute to the high rate in fertility

in the haor area. Consequently health risks for women increase significantly.

Summery of Health situation:

Provisions like medicine, med equipments, doctors are not available.

People take the ill and sick to the District or Divisional level.

Poor try to get cured by the Auyrbedic2 and local kabiraj3.

Infant mortality, maternal mortality rate is still high.

Women lack access to health advice and hygienic living.

Family Planning HWs provide pills, condom and vaccines for kids while visiting.

Department of Public Health Engineering is simply inactive.

Food security:

Poor people in haor area eat once or at best twice a day. Previous research on haor

shows that nutritional intake is not up to the mark. From this research it was found that

due to ignorance of family members especially women members, pregnant and lactating

mothers are compelled to fast during Ramadan, which is harmful for both mother and

baby. Sometimes lactating mother take gruel of wheat to enrich the breast milk.

Population increase in the poorer families in the haors is a big challenge in ensuring food

security for all ages and all classes. Mobility and exposure with its multiplier effects may

be the only way to change this attitude towards life in this remote area. Otherwise with

almost no scope for entertainment like folk drama / dances / musical soirée that used to

take place before, there will be more unplanned births and unwanted mouth to feed.

2 Auyrbedic – ancient knowledge and medicinal practices based on herbs 3 kabiraj – person offering medi-care support to mainly village people with the support of oral tradition /

indigenous knowledge on medicinal cures

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Mobility and exposure pattern:

From the Sunamganj district mobility is more related and caused by need for work and

as part of a process to securing one‟s livelihood. Since a significant number of people in

Tahirpur Upazilla are settlers from outside Sunamganj, they also visit families in other

districts. From Astagram of Kishoreganj people can move towards Dhaka, Brahmanbaria,

Narayanganj, Bhairab and other adjacent districts. They move not only in search of work

but also for shopping, purchasing the needful for farming, visiting family and relatives in

other districts and so on. Mobility has a positive correlation with exposure and change in

outlook. The research finds that people often are more receptive to newer ideas and take

initiatives when they are more mobile. This is a result of exposure.

Internal mobility in the haor area is more to do with daily routines and chores: school

going when they can, shopping for living from nearest bazaars, treatment for severe

ailment, occasional trips to nearest towns for recreation, and so on.

Practices of dowry / early marriage / domestic violence / divorce (by women)

Like many other poverty stricken areas in Bangladesh dowry and early marriage are

interrelated issues in this area. People see girls at their early ages as more demandable

for marriage. And demand of dowry is also less for each girl at this stage and age. The

more these girls grow, demand on dowry increases. As a result prevalence of early

marriage is high in haor areas. Unfortunately this way of early marriage and dowry has

become a livelihood option for poor men.

It has found that women experience various types of violence. Women‟s bargaining

position in the household weakens as their income-earning options are inferior and as

they remain less mobile. Due to successive years of bad harvest haor people become

poorer. That creates the age old patriarchal psychological crisis in men. As always it is a

general but peculiar mix of crises, a result of a combination of:

a. fear of uncertainty,

b. severe socio-economic insecurity,

c. a way of venting out frustration,

d. lack of 3 Es (education – exposure – esteem),

e. lack of gender sensitivity,

f. the need to be in command – at least visibly, and

g. to show that after all men are the stronger “fall-back option” in any situation,

they beat their wives some times without any fault of the latter. Unfortunately, women

with battered body shattered mind perceived that beating by husbands is a normal way

of life and is an easy way to go to heaven. Divorce by women was not found during the

research. The research presupposed a correlation between divorce and empowerment

where divorce initiated by women was seen or assumed as a key indicator of agency on

part of the women.

Gender discrimination

Analysis Parameter of gender and diversity included, a) control over resources and

production, b) household resources and assets, c) personal resources and assets. But it

has to be mentioned that since the research was not a quantitative one these parameters

were fed by qualitative information only and does not provide a definitive answer. The

following indicators were checked against the participation of women in the PRA:

19

Mobility a. Inside community b. Outside community

Participation a. Decision making about Personal affairs b. Decision making regarding household affairs c. Community decision making and activities d. Project specific indicators

Knowledge and awareness a. Own rights b. Services c. Supports

Life management skills

a. Plan for future b. Plan for crisis management c. Have leisure time Linkage with other organization a. Registered NGOs b. GOB organizations

c. Local Samities /clubs d. Legal Support providers

Based on the above mentioned analytical framework a summery of the field findings may

be presented as follows:

Women are often in the clutch of the samaj – society. The community norms and

elderly people set the rules or more truly maintains the status quo. They

participate only in those vocations where they are allowed. One or two percent

women go out to work in different garment factories and as house help whom

they know.

They do not have access to proper education, especially the adolescent and grown

up women.

The research found that they do not have control over the family earnings or

expenditure. For example they do not even have any right to decide on selling

duck eggs they produce.

Women have no / little participation at family level decision making (purchasing/

selling of family‟s asset, decision about children‟s marriage)

They still have no choice over taking contraceptive measures or in conceiving.

Their desire for or right to deny sex is not accepted.

They have no control over polygamy of husband.

Sexual harassment, teasing, physical violence still affects the women.

Women‟s mobility is very much restricted.

Women still cannot have their say in public spheres like SMCs, shalish.

Women cultivate kanda4 lands but not on a commercial basis.

4 Kanda – known and utilized as a common property. Mostly a fallow land utilized for grazing of livestock and

small scale vegetable gardening.

20

Women are benefiting from and developing due to NGOs‟ women focused

interventions.

Mediation and Legal aid

The judicial / legal system of the country cannot be accessed by the haor people. They

have to come to the cities and towns at the Upazilla and/or district level.

The local people are, however, happy with mediation – shalish5, at their locality

adjudicated by the local shamaj6. Beginning from their own mouja7 there are four tiers of

this shalish system. The first tier is comprised of four moujas. The second tier is

comprised of eight mojas, the third of sixteen moujas and the fourth mouja is comprised

of forty eight moujas. If a complainant or the accused is/are not satisfied with the

judgment he/she/they go to the next tier. In this process by the time they reach the final

and fourth tier they become satisfied. Generally nominated mouja elders sit to

adjudicate. Local haor people are pretty satisfied with the standard the shalish keeps and

happy with the results.

Perception on risks and risk reduction:

Hilly torrent and/or flash flood, riverbank erosion, thick fog, hail storm, drought, etc. are

common place. People of the localities adapted to these risks and calamities for ages. In

recent years, however, the timing and type of the calamities have changed with a degree

of unpredictability.

Hilly torrent generally destroys the crop in the field. Overflowing of river bank has

become common in recent years due to siltation on the river bed. As a result

embankments are breached and inland localities are inundated. Fishing ghers in Bills and

Haors are also overflowed and families dependent of fisheries are directly affected.

Deep thick fog has increased in density as well in the recent years. It gets foggy from the

dusk and damages crop. Apart from during the winter fog persists in the Bengali months

of Falgun-Chaitra. Falgun-Chaitra is becoming a bad patch because of the early flash

flood/hill torrent for the last two years. This torrent and flood inundates/submerges

paddy fields and destroys eighty percent of the paddy.

Interestingly people perceive even the shallow engine driven boats plying over the haor

water erodes the bank soil and damages the eco system by destroying fish habitats

hence their reproduction. Due to water level reduction and siltation fishing is becoming

difficult by the years. To avoid starvation, the fishermen are now compelled to catch the

fish fries. In their words: “before we used to have plenty of fish in the net during the

5 shalish – mediation/adjudication system run by elders and elites of a samaj in the rural Bangladesh 6 samaj – society which controls norms and rules of living in a community at the rural level 7 mouja – smallest land measurement – administrative unit used in records of land office

21

rainy season but now we get one or two from ten nets.” Due to increase in population

there is additional pressure on the same or more often depleting fishery resources in the

haor areas.

Other risks arise from natural calamities like:

a) long term flood

b) cold wave

c) thick and deep fog

d) cyclone

e) attack of pests

Table 3: Status of key dimensions of responsible wellbeing8

Dimensions Status in Tahirpur Status in Sulla

Status in Astagram

Self-Sustenance

they work for 3 months

and sit around for 9

months indulging in

cultural activities, card

playing, etc.

they work for 3

months and sit around

for 9 months indulging

in cultural activities,

card playing, etc.

better off due to

mobility (livelihoods,

shopping, )

Self-Esteem

the idea is not clear

to them.

they remain

submitted from the

beginning of any

dealing

the idea is not

clear to them.

they remain

submitted from

the beginning of

any dealing

situation is a bit

better because of

mobility and

exposure

Self-Determination

absent/indifferent

only the migrants

become different and

careful to decide

reluctance to change

absent/indifferent

only the migrants

become different

and careful to

decide

reluctance to change

absent/indifferent

only the migrants

become different

and careful to

decide

reluctance to

change

Responsibility

the idea of taking

responsibility of

others in the

community is an alien

one at this stage.

the idea of taking

responsibility of

others in the

community is an

alien one at this

stage.

the idea of taking

responsibility of

others in the

community is an

alien one at this

stage.

8 responsible wellbeing means a situation where people will consider and act for the betterment of others in the

community as well

22

Social safety coverage by group and with amenities – local government‟s role

It is the finding of this research that in some cases the local government structure exerts

more influence than local administration of the government. It may be seen as part of

the empowerment process of the LGIs or as a not so significant one off case or as an

example of how lack of coordination may render government agencies ineffective at the

local level. For example, in Kishoreganj the local Union Parishad and Upazilla level

committees work in the name of the agriculture department of the government. Local

MP, Upazilla Chairman, and UNO decide for the local level office of the agriculture

department. In most cases the local government is yet to function structurally or in a

systematic manner where interests of the poor will be protected. Mostly the Local

government functions in accordance to the cycle of political patronage and interest loop.

Different packages are offered by GoB & NGOs in the guise of short and long term Social

safety net (SSN). In a nutshell these are: short term: VGD, VGF, FFW/ CFW, Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance,

Disability Allowance, Freedom Fighter Allowance, Maternity Allnc.

long term: FFW (assume one month per worker),

Cash for Work (assuming 1mm/w),

VGF (Three months per beneficiary), Test Relief (one time grant),

GR-Food (one time grant), 100 days employment scheme

These social benefits and supports are primarily distributed in line with political identity

and influence network. This political identity is again selected through constant party

affiliations and involvement with groups who exchange favours.

Production and market:

Apart from the one crop „boro‟, people in the haor areas are engaged in wage labour.

Very few are involved in new income generating activities. NGO led duck rearing or their

own kanda cultivation do not hold much promise in terms of commercial value. Those are

seen more as means utilized for sustenance.

The basic of marketing a product – transportation and communication infrastructure is

lacking in the haor region. There is no way that without appropriate resources farmers or

fishermen can sell their produces to the markets of significance where they can get a

good price. Ultimately they suffer from domination, intimidation and despair. Private

sectors‟ involvement in upgrading the market links in haor region is by and large absent.

Only in Astagram shoes are produced or finished and send to markets. Garment

industries also involve local population in this area and people have more options due to

advantage in transportation and communication.

Migration as an alternative livelihood strategy:

Seasonal migration for work is a trend whereas incidences of international labour

migration are found to be insignificant amongst the poor. More well to dos engage in this

migratory habit.

Primarily the poor and male engage in seasonal migration for work. This trend continues

from 2/3 to 6 to 9 months. A very small percentage of these take full family along. But

23

when they do, usually it is a long term migration for a good nine-fifteen years and again

it is a circular migration, i.e., the full family comes back. Migration decision is often not

informed but based on shared knowledge and information in the locality.

In one Union of Tahirpur 40% of the idle/jobless never migrate. People from Tahirpur go

to Bholaganj, Sylhet, Chittagong, Tangail and Dhaka. People from Astagram go to

Bhairab, Dhaka, and lot many other districts. Apart from Sulla, other areas see more

regional migration. People from Sulla go to Bholagonj, Chatak, Sylhet, Dhaka and

Chittagong. Occupations of the seasonal migrants from haor areas include – stone

collection, carrying and crushing, coal carrying, rickshaw peddling, petty trader, raw

material hawker, etc.

Migration of fishermen of the haor region is also caused by fear of getting beaten up,

intimidation coming from the local elite and investors in leases of water bodies. As much

as sixty percent of the fishermen at some stage of the year leave haor region in search of

work. This joblessness is caused due to government ban on fishing for three months, and

due to the dry season. They migrate in fear of the local Ijaradars9 (Lessee/investor

behind the lessee) of the Jalmahals10 (water bodies/haors).

Migration as IGAs for women:

Migration decision is primarily controlled by the male members of the family.

Women/adolescent girls of less than 5% households migrate to work in garment

industries, as day labourers and as house help. Their destination is usually Dhaka,

Naraynganj and adjacent districts. Under extreme hardship few females from Sulla even

migrate to work as day labourer to carry stone, coal, etc. At times they accompany their

husbands or their male acquaintances – labour from the locality.

Capacity building:

Capacity building of institutions and individuals both are of high importance in the

context of any intervention aimed at haor livelihood development.

Institutional capacity always starts with quality of available resources. This quality again

depends on willingness of the manpower to maintain and improve efficiency level.

without appropriate pay and perks the government officials are not motivated enough to

exercise this will power to improve.

Capacity building at the individual level is important in terms of changing community

living and measures of initiative. Along with officials from government agencies NGO

activists needs to be trained on the realities and variations of the haor region, sensitized

on:

cultural diversity,

gender specific choices and vulnerabilities,

locational (geographic) and relational (class) needs,

9 Ijaradars – lease/investor behind the lessee 10 Jalmahals – water bodies/haors

24

problems arising out of haor specific traditions

class distinction and social practices in haor,

disaster management, and

inventing new IGAs, etc.

Resource mobilization:

Requisite manpower to ensure reach and sustenance is a must for any program. When a

particular department of the government needs 23 people they have half that number.

This is a typical example of the situation at the local level administration around the

country. This research can hardly over emphasise the need for requisite manpower

especially in the haor region to successfully implement any program.

Budgetary allocation is also meager. Not even 20% of proposed or requested allocation

of local offices is met from Dhaka.

WATSAN:

Pure drinking water in Haor areas is scare. There was no tube well 20-30 years ago.

Now a-days due to governments and NGO‟s interventions, there are tube wells in

villages. It should be mentioned that numbers of tube well are not sufficient in

comparison to the need. However, the tube wells also become useless during the rainy

season as they remain submerged.

There are few household who use sanitary latrines. Open defecation is common practice

and areas. Hanging latrines are abundant.

Rights:

Right to information, right to secure living their interconnectedness nothing make sense

to them. Under the hegemonic social construct women relinquish their right of having

dignity as fait accompli.

Unavailability of actual statistics on the haor region:

The problems in haor region are not properly projected because of the lack of actual hard

core data on different aspects of demography, development, life and livelihoods. Without

this data policy advocacy gets bogged down. When data from haor region is mixed with

dry / main land of the same upazilla then the data is diluted and distorted. Either haor

specific data needs to be produced through separate structure and category in censuses

or haor areas needs to be demarcated specifically as separate administrative units.

25

Existing coping and adaptation livelihood strategy of the poor in hour areas

Livelihood strategy in the haor areas is unique. Plain land developmental realities will

often bear no meaning in this topography and cultural practices. People living under

poverty line are a common place. People live under subjugation and even submit to such

practices by choice because of lack of options. The natural topographical and climatic

issues have set the tone of their life, coping with disaster and adapt to continue

livelihoods in dire circumstances and in the face of calamities. The region remains

submerged under water for nine months. People live on fishing and then mercy of the

landlords/dadondars during those nine months. They can harvest the land only for three

months during the dry season. Due to changes in crop pattern and in growth of natural

flora fauna, vulnerability has increased, living conditions has changed significantly. The

following discussion will suffice.

Livelihood security – opportunities and obstacles for women:

In Haor areas, generally women are neither considered bread-winners nor future

successors in the family, which provide ample logic to support the systemic

discrimination against women.

Most Haor people are poor and in absence of asset-based entitlement, men have freedom

to exchange their labour power in the market and obtain remuneration. On the other

hand, poor women do not have freedom to exchange their labour power. They need

approval from their families. Employment opportunity is also restricted due to gender

discrimination in division of labour, social customs and religious prejudices. However,

some women‟s with livelihood options and opportunities were found in following cases -

Women in Astogram upazilla got some scope to involve themselves in embroidery

on garment products and embroidery for shoe laces/belts. As transport and

communication system of Astogram is better then Shalla and Tahirpur, garment

industries and shoe companies has come to Astogram and involved the women in

their factories.

Sometimes women are engaged with agricultural activities at a smaller scale just

enough to ensure supply for family consumption.

Few small grocery shops were found near the homestead, which are run by the

woman members in the family. Some women sell items of daily needs from their

home.

In some areas women started poultries with seven to ten ducks with the help of

NGOs but they reported that these scheme is not feasible as the numbers of duck

is limited. It does not allow them any scale of production and thus not

economically viable.

Women do homestead/kitchen gardening but not on a commercial basis.

Sometimes poor women get into earth work under the SSN of the Government.

Women labourers face wage discrimination and harassment.

In some cases women are members of micro-credit program of different NGOs but

they are not satisfied with this credit system.

There are provisions of government safety net program like VGF, VGD,

widowhood and old age stipend. But in most of the cases it is disrupted by the

anomaly or corruption of authorities.

The female-headed households have virtually no options other than being

destitute, as they have nothing to sell and very limited options to exchange their

26

labour power. On the other hand, the poor male-headed households can sell their

minimum physical asset or the homestead, achieved through patriarchal

inheritance, or can migrate for wage work.

In haor areas woman fall in deep crisis when their husbands are away from her to

work as a year-long bonded labourer in exchange of small remuneration and

leaves insufficient small amount for household maintenance.

Though it is illegal, men can also seek dowry as primary accumulation of asset or

money but women have no such types of options.

Major Occupations:

The following findings and discussion is very instructive. Most studies done three years

earlier on the areas show that major occupation is agriculture followed by fishing.

Selection of areas under this research and its methodologies can obviously play a part in

the following result. Still, the trend of major occupations found in this research is quite

alarming. An overwhelming number of people have turned into day labourers (see Fig.

4). Disasters in last few successive years may have taken a toll on the occupation trend.

The three upazillas covered under this research show similar trend (see Appendix 1).

Figure 2: Major Livelihood options in Haor

Major livelihood options of

poor people of Haor Region

Livelihood

options

Fish trade

Fishing

Small

Farming

Local Ag. Laboring

Coal picking

Collect Natural Resources

Sand & stone labor

Migrant labor

Rickshaw/van

pulling

Earth work labor

Sand/stone Collection

Dry fish

trade

Firewood collection

Small trade

Source: CNRS reports, 2005 and OHK study findings, 2010

27

Employment situation:

Seventy percent people in these areas remain unemployed. But sixty percent of this idle

bunch moves out to different districts in search for work. Only in Astagram situation is

better (see Appendix 1).

Wage:

Farmers receive all their payments in grains. After the season, if they get a good harvest

they are paid in grain. But the problem is when payment is made with grain proper

accounting cannot be maintained. So, often this process and tradition of economic

exchange deprives the poor segment.

As in other parts of the country here also male female ratio in wage has a gap. For the

same work if men are paid BDT 150 daily women are paid 100 taka. So there is a gap of

fifty percent. In stone and sand carrying pay is equal.

Cropping pattern:

Generally these areas grow a single crop – boro. All the areas remain submerged in hilly

torrent and flood water. Since the introduction of high yield „BR 29‟ the affects of flash

floods has started to catch up on the haor people and farmers on their wrong foot.

Because this crop‟s life is 165 days, flash flood destroys the crop before they can rip the

harvest. Whereas the previous „boro‟ crop was ripped within 120 days thus giving them

time to avoid flash floods. But the trade off is quantity. The high yield is six to seven tons

whereas the earlier boro was two to three tons. This trade off is handsome if only

disasters like flash floods do not take a toll on it in a particular year.

Lifestyle and alternatives for nine idle months:

In the dry season, people remain busy with preparing seedbeds, sowing the seed, etc.

Then they rip the harvest fighting with the nature. After these 3 months during the 9

month gap of workless ness their culture revolves around enjoying cultural programs like

music and drama troupes. The absence of work for such a long period of time has also

given rise to a decedent practice where men engage in bizarre sexual activities.

Unmarried girls/women remain unsafe at this time.

Fishing and Fisheries in the Jalmahal:

Poorer lot cannot participate in fishing in Beels and Haors because of manipulation and

control over leased water bodies by the local elite with national level connections in

business and patronage (see the Fig. 1). Economic insolvency does not allow them to

fight or even raise voice against the financially powerful most of time. During the

monsoon and flooding the big money leases reserves the right to exercise their power

and control over the extended water body when their beels over flow in monsoon and

normal ponds and land is submerged. Poor people generally cannot catch fish on their

own land. Otherwise they face various and severe forms of torture.

28

Fig. 3: Interaction between fishermen and lessee

Land ownership and Dwelling:

The poorer segments are fast becoming landless due to successive and years of

disasters. These landless people ultimately turn into day laborers, percentage of which

this research found to be disproportionately high.

Fig. 4: The pauperization process in haors

In haor region, most of the pauper and poor segment of population live on others‟ land.

They live on the edge of the high lands. It is called “Haati”11. These paupers living on the

edge of the haatis at the bank of the haor are supposed to protect this edge/bank by

undertaking pilling and other initiatives. They serve the land lord doing their menial jobs

and by providing other assistances. A previous in depth household study on haors12 in

11 A cluster of dwellings situated on a mound. It looks like an island in the haor. 12 Effect of FRRAS Schemes In Four Upazilla At Sunamganj, Final Report, August, 2007, Dr. Monirul I Khan Professor Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka.

Fish Trader

SUFO

Local Elites UNO

Net Owner

Boat Owner

DC

Jalmahal (water body)

Lessee

Fish Cooperative

Society

Farmer

Vicious cycle of

loan

Pauper

Day labourer

Flash flood +

other disasters

29

the Sunamganj district shows that 98 percent people own less than 50 decimal of

homestead land. The same study show that more than 10 percent of the surveyed

households are without any cultivable land and 41 percent households have 51 to 250

decimal cultivable land.

Kanda land:

This is a high and raised land that does not get submerged in flood water. This type of

land previously used to be allotted to community / family by elder(s) which in time turns

into a land for the community with the enlargement of the family. This piece of land is

utilized by the family turned community (simply by the increase in numbers of the family

members) in rearing livestock – their grazing, for small and irregular use for kitchen

gardening, etc. It is not owned by a single person or a single family. It is essentially a

community property. The government also does not have any control on this land.

There is not much economic rationale of utilizing kanda land for commercial venture. If

they try to do harvesting the cost of seeds, fertilizer and other tools have to be collected

from far away and will cost much than the return. The distance between substantive

chunk of kanda land and localities is another problem which cannot be cultivated by

women. Only the kanda lands near the haatis where they live can be cultivated by the

women and can yield for sustenance only but cannot be used as a commercial venture.

Credit from NGO vs. Dadondar:

People are discouraged to take credit from the NGOs because of the weekly installments

for repayment. Credit procedure involves lengthy bureaucracy. The commuting costs

much. On the other hand the loan from dadondars13 is far more accessible and needs to

be paid in one installment with paddy at the year end with a successful yield. Only

drawback is that if they fail to pay dadondars back they stand to loose their land and

homestead. But still credit from dadondars remains attractive to these poor people.

The credit amount offered by the NGOs is also insignificant for them. In contrast to

NGOs‟ three thousand (BDT 3,000) dadondars can lend up to (BDT 20-50,000) twenty or

fifty thousand taka at a time. There is no processing time and it‟s within the reach of the

people.

Institutional Support and accessibility:

Institutional support and accessibility is crucial for development in any poverty stricken

area. Especially remote places are even more susceptible to pressures and

vulnerabilities. The haor region is already remote and underdeveloped. On top of this it is

not well attended by government officials and by officials from other stakeholders posted

out to Haor. People do not generally go to the Upazilla complexes unless compelled. They

mostly visit Upazillas for treatment, schooling of their children, and so on. On the other

13 Dadondars are money lenders. In the initial days of inhabitation of the haor region, dadondars used to come

from Munshiganj, Mymensing, Tangail and Dhaka.

30

hand government officials do not have appropriate motivation to travel to remote villages

and haatis to see the problems and living conditions for themselves. Even many officials

do not live in the region. They come and go and travel between Dhaka and other nearby

big cities and the haor region.

In this context it becomes almost impossible to ensure good and adequate support from

institutions and access of the poor haor people to the institutional remedies that may be

so much needed at times of crises and need. The cause of this situation or problem is a

combination of factors. Feudal and patriarchal structure of the society, nature of the

administration as run in the bureaucracy of the country, etc. are constitutive factors that

create the obstacles in people‟s way of getting institutional support from the government,

service providing agencies and other local circles of influence and power. Below the

research finding is presented for an understanding of the situation:

Fig. 5: Access to and support from Institutions in Haor region

The above figure amply, aptly and clearly shows that the government agencies and

departments are far far away from people. Much needed service providers like hospital,

thana, agriculture officer, fisheries officer, livestock officer, law enforcement agencies,

water development board all are miles away from the reality and reach of the haor

people. It also shows that local elites, dadondars surround them along with the UP and

local NGOs. Until this above scenario changes it is now on the handful of people from

Directorate of family planning, GoB, local government institutions like Union Parishad

(UP) and local NGOs and PNGOs of Oxfam Hong Kong to serve these hapless people.

Women & Children

Affairs off. /

Public Health Eng. /

Grameen Bank /

BRAC / ASA /

Bazar committee

LGED /

SMC /

Land office /

Post Office /

Soc. welfare Off. /

Education officer

Dadondar /

UP /

local & OHK

PNGOs /

Fam Planning /

Elite /

opinion

leaders /

samaj

Poor Mass

Water Dev. Brd. /

Fisheries Off. /

Agriculture officer /

Hospital /

Livestock officer /

Law enforcement /

Thana /

BRDB /

CARE BD

Electricity – REB/PDB

31

RECOMMENDATIONS ON A LIVELIHOODS STRATEGY FOR THE HAOR REGION

Challenging Choices:

A resilient livelihood for wellbeing of Poor people in haor region

Key Messages:

Strong linkages needed to establish

between haor people‟s threats to

protection and threats to their

livelihood

Women of haor need to be put in

the center of all approach and long

term funding for their mobilization

and protection

Poor people‟s dignity and safety

should be enhanced through linking

socio-political asset-building and

livelihood programme; i.e., group

formation, strengthen alliances and

promoting access to haor resources.

With a action research approach,

organizations can take more joint

action and flexible long term

funding to build a strong linkage

between livelihood and positive

outcomes in the haor region.

The study and available documents of OHK (on livelihood projects and previous strategy

papers) shows that poor people of the Haor region faces threats to their safety and

dignity through destruction of livelihoods frequently, due to the natural hazards as well

as the consequences of immediate causes (i.e., violence and coercion), underlying causes

(i.e., food insecurity, lack of support for poverty reduction, lack of access to resources,

socio-cultural & behavioral practices) and dynamic pressures (i.e., political insecurity,

inaccessibility to market). As Adato and Meinzen-Dick describes, Livelihood strategies are

the choices one employs in pursuit of income, security, well-being, and other productive

and reproductive goals (Adato and Meinzen-Dick, 2002). Ashley and Carney (1999) puts

DIGINITY as one of the major component of livelihood strategy, that people pursuit

sustainable livelihood to enhance and regain their dignity. A livelihood strategy should

enhance poor people‟s capability and protect the means of living including food, income

and assets through tangible assets like resources and intangible assets like claims and

access. The livelihood strategy should assist poor people and women to have socially

sustainable livelihoods those can cope with and recover from stress and shocks and

provide for future generations.

Existing livelihood models:

The conceptual framework of livelihoods strategy for this research includes the idea of

promoting a resilient livelihood strategy in the haor areas for the poor people who will be

able to enhance the well-being through income security, other productive activities and

increasing claim, access and control over resources and services. To achieve that idea a

resilient livelihood process need to be reflected in the program design and joint activities

generating reflection from field in feedback forms.

32

All livelihood strategy discussion and programme design considers the sustainable

livelihood framework of DFID (1999) though it is more of „tangible assets based‟ concept.

From this sustainable livelihoods framework championed by DFID the livelihood

framework seems to be evolving and expanding suiting the local level needs in last one

decade.

Fig. 6: Sustainable Livelihoods Framework

Source: DfID 1999.

The other diagram analysed in the study has been taken from OHK study on a livelihood

Framework in haor context. Both the diagram analysed livelihood strategy at a national

context or macro level, though, the second diagram (figure 5) tried to identify and

highlight issues linked to specific haor region. In the haor context, resilience against

hazards though reduced vulnerability and risks need to be considered as a key factor

where women groups, fisher-folk unions and pro-poor alliances will play a catalyst role to

promote the claims and access of the poor people to resources and services. The link

between the sustainable livelihood of haor people and dependence on the wetland

resources need to be also considered as the key factor within any livelihood framework

and strategy.

33

Fig. 7: Haor region context in livelihood framework

Source: Huda & Sarwar – OHK Study, 2008

Constraints in the Existing Livelihoods Models:

Both the models provide following constraints where focus on longer term need and

priorities and understanding of the root causes of poverty alleviation is not considered:

Project focus: Missing the holistic perspective, lead to sharply focused sectoral projects.

The difference created due to the way these projects are conceived and overall

objective of sustainable livelihood framework and became a narrow sectoral goal (e.g.

km of road built, increase in yield, etc.). Failed to achieve sustainable livelihood

framework guided programme rather than over-ambitious projects and prove to be

off-putting to poor people.

Tools and methods: both the framework variety of methods and tools to operationalise

the sustainable livelihood framework though didn’t put the analysis of risks and

vulnerabilities to livelihood at the center. As a result the impact of shocks and

hazards remain as a separate pillar in the programme design and not integrated to

the livelihood strategies. It is important to build on learning from employing a wide

variety of tools. However, it is more important to ensure a commitment to the

underlying principles of sustainable livelihood rather , than worry about particular

tools and methods.

Measuring Impacts: The sustainable livelihood frameworks provide a checklist to see the

impacts of projects on the poor, but not easier to measure changes in livelihoods.. It

is important to avoid undue complexity, spending large amount of time and budget

on monitoring which is also beyond the control of the project-level staff to take

34

responsibility for outcomes. . This is most of the time counter-productive and makes

the process unsustainable.

Micro-meso-macro links: Sustainable livelihood frameworks highlighted the importance

of micro-macro links and the need for policy change. They also established the

influence and profound effect of policies on livelihoods and need for policy and

institutional reforms. -. However, an adequate understanding of the nature and

operation of policies, institutions, organisations and governance at the micro and

meso (at sub-district and sub-national level, i.e., union and upazilla) are not properly

elaborated. The catalysts of changes at the meso level may have bigger role for

strengthening the micro-macro linkage for sustainable livelihood of poor people in the

haor region.

Linkages between vulnerability and livelihood protection: both the framework proposed a

link between vulnerability and livelihood protection. However, the broad frameworks

do not provide an analysis of vulnerabilities and those outcomes which reduce

livelihood protection of the poor people and promote migration, forced displacement

and disruption to rights. The following table provides some type of vulnerabilities

extracted from the study and other documents and their outcomes on people’s

livelihood.

Table 4: Results of Vulnerabilities in relation to livelihoods

Type of vulnerability Outcome

Physical Labour Loss of income Loss of employment

Extended unemployment

Disability Lack of appropriate skills Suicide

Human capital Inability to invest or maintain investment in education Old age dependency

Destitution

Economic infrastructure Inability to use productive assets Lack of technical skills Lack of economic rights Debt Lack of services, drinking water, electricity, transport

Household security Increase in domestic violence

Alcohol abuse

Split households Sexual exploitation

Socio-cultural capital Decline in community-based participation Lack of adequate childcare

Lack of caregivers for elderly

Socio-political capital Crime, harassment and homicide Lack of security and physical mobility Lack of access to decision making process

Shocks flash floods Change in policies violence and coersion

35

Missing the Technology: We now turn to the way in which various groups have dealt with

the issue of technology. Certainly, the impact of innovative technologies on poor

livelihoods is of increasing concern to policy makers, donors and international

agencies. The criteria of an appropriate14 technology strategy for sustainable

livelihoods should be to improve productivity of community assets; enhance

capabilities and opportunities; be sustainable in the social, economic and

environment sense; empower communities (particularly vulnerable communities) and

link communities in similar circumstances and relevant stakeholders through

appropriate networks.

Nexus between the high dependence of haor people on wetland resources and the huge

potential that sustainable management of these resources offers for national

development must also address local sustainable livelihoods. At the national and sub-

national level, the ecological functions that haor region‟s wetlands provide are essential

for national development, though not at the cost of the poor people‟s protection and

livelihood. These implications of the macro benefit to local communities are wide ranging,

including increase of rural to urban migration, of unemployment and local

food insecurity. This requires a two-track strategy of promoting sustainable livelihoods

based on management of wetland resources, adaptation strategy of the poor haor people

and on influencing policy-making processes to be more conducive to sustainable

development.

This study has followed an approach to poverty alleviation based on recent

understandings that recognize that sustainable livelihood strategies are based not only

on the use of a range of natural, material and economic resources, but also social and

cultural resources as well as increased access to claims and access. Poverty reduction is

not simply a matter of income and consumption but is also concerned with strengthening

the capacity of people to manage their natural resource base, to represent their interests

and rights, to participate effectively in decision making processes, and to benefit from

changing relations of production and exchange.

Thus this study proposes a change in the above framework (figure 7) to better suit the

reality of the haor region. Political capital cannot be treated as a separate capital or

issue, rather it is seen as pervasive in every other five capitals. Within a power structure

– relationships and negotiations process an economic activity and transaction has a

political relationship embedded and it is manifested when the negotiation process goes

on. Same happens with all other capitals. Local level party politics revolving around the

election process is highly susceptible and somewhat of low level priority to a greater

power structure shaped by decades of control and fight for control over physical,

financial, social and natural capitals.

The proposed strategy framework has put emphasis on “Political Capital” which needs to

be enhanced to ensure protection of women and poor haor people. Attention is also

needed to review the socio-political structure of Haor community. As study revealed,

there are 4 gross divisions in Haor community - Jongalia (native Haor people), Aabadi

(migrants from Tangail, Mymansingh, etc.), Mymon (native muslim fisher flocks) and

14 It states to be 'truly appropriate, technology must be compatible with available natural, human and financial

resources and correspond to the cultural practices of users'.

36

minority (mainly Hindus). Economy and development of this region immensely depends

on the inner struggle of the four section of Haor community and always threatened by

the pro-feudal power structure and influentials. As political and economical power of Haor

mainly controlled by the aabadi section, the livelihood strategy considers strengthening

of alliances and groups of the other three and empowerment of the women in all section

as a challenge to choices.

Typical features of this Strategy:

Ensure that gender issue is treated as a cross cutting issue, but with clear

emphasis on women empowerment.

Ensure that political capital is seen as pervasive and manifested in other

capitals of the livelihoods framework – not to misunderstand the power

relationship and the process of realizing it.

Progression Path of this Strategy:

As mentioned above, haor livelihoods are almost exclusively dependent on the use of a

vast range of available natural wetland resources – including the cultivation of a wetland

crop (rice), the harvesting of fisheries, and collection of aquatic plants. Management of

water channels and cope with the flush floods are central to the livelihood sustainability.

The process of responsible wellbeing starts from the very first stage. But we cannot call a

person capable of responsible wellbeing unless s/he finishes the following process. At the

individual level there will be a sense of relative wellbeing as work for independence,

sustenance and esteem starts through interventions by the partner NGOs of OHK. But

For practical programme implementation purpose and benchmarking-evaluation we have

to identify separate stages of the development in three phases. We need to see the

process as a dynamic one and non-linear one. Because there are and has to be ups and

downs at every stage and after completing a cycle a person gets to the next level of

development and needs new set of measures to create absorption capacity. Hence

capacity building process starts afresh. The elements of need and aspiration, access and

realization are described in the grids and log frames latter.

Resilience Responsible institutions & Agency15 of People Wellbeing

As mentioned above, Oxfam Hong Kong needs to follow a two prong strategy. It needs to

continue to fund programs on soft development issues, liaison, advocacy and at the same

time coordinate with the government on structural development of the region with

support from stakeholders i.e., environmental groups, civil society, FAO, BRRI, etc.

15 Agency of people (men/women) is his/her ability to take initiative, organize and to build their lives as they

deem fit utilizing, exploiting, manipulating the resources (5 livelihood capitals) within the relational settings

existing in the society.

37

Vision of the strategy:

“To achieve Resilient Livelihood for Responsible Wellbeing”

Expected Outcomes of the Livelihood Strategy:

achievements and outputs of livelihood strategies

sustainable and resilient in the face of external shocks and stresses

higher income levels,

an increased sense of well-being,

reduced levels of vulnerability

Oxfam’s Work on Haor people:

Oxfam Hong Kong is working on the Haor areas for a few years now. It has a set of

categories, which are put to use in regard to program implementation. These are:

Oxfam Hong Kong’s identification of approaches to development:

1) Capacity building

2) Networking / Partnership Development

3) Research

4) Community Development

5) Disaster Response & Preparedness

6) Public Education

7) Like UNICEF in Child development issues, like Save the Children USA in New Born

Care issues Oxfam Hong Kong can attempt to undertake the role of national lead

by engaging early and swiftly in the haor region.

Oxfam Hong Kong’s classification of Technical sectors:

1) Natural Resource Management & Rural Development

2) Urban Development

3) Enterprise Development & Micro-finance

4) Basic Health

5) Basic Education

6) HIV / AIDs

7) Emergency Response

8) Risk Management & Mitigation

9) Participatory Governance

10) Civil Society Development

11) Gender Mainstreaming

12) Women‟ Equity & Rights

13) Development Education

During the third year (2009-2010) of intervention OHK investment / funding have been

done in the following manner. Roughly:

a) community development was given highest importance (30-70%) along with

b) capacity building (10-50%)

c) disaster response and preparedness (10-15%)

d) public education (5%)

38

Among the technical sectors highest attention was received by:

a) natural resource management and rural development,

b) enterprise development and micro-finance,

c) risk management and mitigation

Other technical sectors receiving OHK fund (5-10%) in the three Upazillas under this

research were:

a) development education

b) gender mainstreaming

c) women‟s equity ad rights

d) basic health

e) participatory governance

Approaches and focus:

In the strategy, following are the key focus for all future programme design:

Women empowerment and livelihood security

Women and girl children play important roles within the household in managing natural

resources particularly fisheries, as well as taking on domestic responsibilities. Women

and children tend to fish and collect aquatic resources in streams, ponds, and backwater

swamps; areas requiring less expensive gear, and often yielding less commercially

valuable species. Women are involved in the post-harvest processing of fish, and in

many cases, are the primary marketers of aquatic resources caught by the household.

Interventions targeted at these areas should offer the potential to empower women, and

to take into account their needs.

The key outcome: Women and girls have easy access to health and reproductive health

services and education. They are free from all type of domestic violence. And enjoy

the right to take decisions and have the right to put opinion in any family decision.

Approach and strategy: Targeting women is a mechanism to ensure equity and to

identify opportunities for women. Equally, often women have specialist knowledge

about natural resources, production, health, sanitation and food and their full

involvement in natural resource management is a means to ensure effective and

appropriate design and implementation. The following are instructive in this case:

Formation of the women groups and engaging them in market-oriented income

generation activities.

Ensuring consultation and effective participation of women in all stages of

planning activities

Supporting women to participate effectively in community level management

Ensuring women‟s access to and control over natural resources that are of

particular importance to women and poor families

Identifying opportunities for women to enter into value added production activities

Ensuring that Programme benefits accrue to women and girl children

39

Table 5: Integrating Gender into the Livelihoods Framework

Macro-meso-micro level

Gender dimensions in sustainable livelihood

National level - Policy

goals and strategies

Gender based data

Availability of gender specialists/ structures Participatory

assessment at grassroots, development of action plans

Economic, political, socio-cultural and legal factors.

Impact Assessment and Shared learning

District, Upazilla and

Union Level -

Institutional factors

Service Analysis

human resources development and opportunities, financial

allocations, evaluation and strategic planning

Integration of women perspective in programme design

Women focused development planning

Customary laws that affect access to credit and resources,

unpaid work of women

Household level Power relations

Activities analysis

Resources analysis

Relationships analysis and identification of gender biasness

Source: adapted from UNDP (1999a)

Right to access and control over Resource and livelihood security

Natural resource-dependent individuals, households and communities become

marginalized because they either have no rights to the resources on which they are

dependent -- or no feasible way to exercise the rights they do have. Clashes between

traditional and contemporary systems of property rights are at the root of livelihood

and environmental insecurity. The most vulnerable communities are invariably the

poorest and most marginalized (i.e., moymen, minority and gongalia), for whom

alternatives are non-existent or come at exorbitant cost.

The strategy is focused on the livelihood security of haor communities from the

perspective of rights to aquatic resources – the “missing link” between poverty and

resource degradation -- and demonstrate the links between the existence and quality

of rights to aquatic resources and the economic role of resource rights in sustaining

livelihoods. Land and resource rights are highly sensitive issues, both culturally and

politically. They must be addressed objectively and in conjunction with other variables

in the equation of livelihood security, including among other factors, resource

degradation and population increase.

Considerable work requires to be done to mobilize people across villages, Upazillas

districts, to:

Facilitate dialogue within and across geographical areas to sort out conflict among

users relating to access and control over wetlands resources

40

Promoting awareness of rights and how these rights can be represented in a

range of arenas at local, national and regional level

Health and Sanitation

There is an immediate need to the provision and strengthening of health care services for

people and livestock. State and non-state agencies with the participation of people

need to address the health care issue urgently.

Many health issues are beyond the immediate scope of programmes but as health

issues are so clearly determinants of poverty and vulnerability and the biggest

stress on livelihood in the poor families, and that the linkages between poverty

and vulnerability and natural resource management are so significant, health

issues cannot be ignored. For local people health issues are so much at the

forefront of their concerns that strategy and programme must address these

issues.

Managing water resources, both for nutrition and for sanitation, will be central to

village level activity.

The most appropriate way for the programme to address these issues is to work

through partnerships with government agencies and NGOs involved in the health

and sanitation sectors, and to ensure that these issues are incorporated into an

integrated approach to natural resource planning and management.

Influencing Policy issues

Reverse the process of privatization of natural resources, restore commons for the

benefit of all people

Substantial reduction in area of fishing concessions to protect critical habitats and

to free areas for community fishing

Equity and justice principles in defining access and distribution of benefits. The

poor must gain access to good fishing grounds, and access to gear appropriate for

sustainable harvesting

Recognition of community fishing rights by giving them priority over revenue

oriented fishing concession management

Integration of fishing management with overall rural development initiatives in

fishing communities

The extension of institutional responsibilities for fisheries management to fishing

communities

Assessing the opinions from the field and previous intervention methods and inclinations

this research proposes that along with community development policy influencing must

be given high priority from next intervention phase. Following the guide grid laid out

above this research proposes the following strategic roll out in the log frame below.

Approximate time frame for each intervention phases must be of at least five-seven

years for fruitful result.

41

Table 6: Guide16 Grid for Haor Livelihood Strategy

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Resilience

(fighting &

building)

Responsible agency

Agency

(assertion &

initiation)

Responsible agency

Responsible

Wellbeing

(giving &

planning further)

Responsible agency

The first

intervention at

this stage must

be in the

transportation

network and

communication

infrastructure

GoB

+

Private

Sector

+

NGOs

+

Env. Civil

Society

At this stage

individuals must

start developing

institutions like

CBOs, local

people owned

businesses, etc.

NGOs

Maintenance of

local transport

network and

further

development

GoB

+ Businesses

+

Local

communities

Individual level

training and

capacity building

needed at this

stage – through

advocacy in

softer human

issues

NGOs

Developing

overall economic

condition of the

haor region

by attracting

investment from

private sector in

businesses and

industry in the

locality

with incentives

and conditions

like:

reinvestment of

a portion of

profit in

development of

local community

Private

sector

conditions

to be set by

the GoB

Maintenance of

water resources

and ensuring

enriched

livelihoods

through stopping

depletion of

aquatic

resources:

Planning &

incoporating

Haor eco-

enrichment

components

within livelihood

security projects

Local people

+

CBOs

+

Local

businesses

Investment in

innovating haor

specific crop,

wave resistant

floating seed bed

etc.

Reintroduction of

haor weed –

chaila gash in

mass scale to

BRRI, GoB

+

NGOs

+

local people

+

environmen

tal groups

& scientists

Investment by

community and

local individuals

in improving

livelihoods and

lifestyle

Local people

+

CBOs/NGOs

+

Local

businesses

16 This is only a guide to the main strategic framework elaborated below.

42

resist and reduce

affects of wave

Mediation /

adjudication

processes can be

initiated.

Once agency of

people is

established on a

large scale this

initiative can be

taken. With a

strengthened

base fear of

repercussions

will be lessened.

NGOs

Culturally very

sensitive issues

can be addressed

at this stage

Local

leadership

+

NGOs

On the basis of discussion with several KIIs and after careful and overall analysis of

previous research works commissioned by OHK and other development partners and

NGOs and after reviewing relevant literature the research team is of the opinion that the

first measure is the single most important initiative that needs to be undertaken by

concerned agency / catalyst, i.e., GoB in order to bring necessary and ultimate change in

the Haor region. Here GoB as a stakeholder will have to be comprised of – Haor

Development Board, Ministry of Finance and Planning, and Ministry of Communication &

Transportation, Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, Disaster Management

Bureau, DRR to have a positive impact in the process of initiation of a major undertaking

in the haor region.

The first step is intended to be initiated by the government and it is a generational

investment. This step is crucial to break away from feudal and patriarchic structure of the

society in the haor region. Because this step will ensure that people will have mobility,

contact with outside world and have better exposure. Mobility for job and service

augmentation will also increase significantly. For initiating this step OHK and its partner

NGOs can only advocate with the government and stakeholders.

The research found that the communities are in a passive mode now. They think and find

themselves at the receiving end. Rights related awareness raising and counseling is

needed at the very onset of programme intervention by the PNGOs of OHK. But that is

not an end in itself, only the beginning, point of initiation.

43

Table 7: Logical Framework of Strategy

Resilience Stage (individual + community):

Strategy Approaches to Program Outputs

1. Empowering women

and marginalized

groups

1.1 Mobilization and self-help

group formation

1.2 Capacity development

1.3 strategic planning and

advocacy

1.4 Income generating activities

1.5 Education and Health

service

1.1.1 Women and marginalized groups are

mobilized to claim and access resources

1.2.1 Development of community focused capacity

building services

1.3.1 Risk Management & Mitigation strategy

1.3.2 Participatory decision making

1.4.1 Increased income of women and marginalized

groups

1.5.1 increased rate of education among boys and

girls

1.5.2 safe motherhood

1.5.3 decreased health costs

44

Strategy Approaches to Program Outcome to be observed

2.Capacity building –

who may play the

catalytic role

(at individual

level - targeted at

NGO staff, potential

CBO leaders, local

businessmen

/potential

entrepreneur among

the communities)

2.1 Community

Development

2.2 Capacity building

2.3 Public education

(advocacy)

2.4 Networking /

partnership development

2.1.1 Natural Resource Management

2.1.2 Enterprise Development Basic Education

2.1.3 Basic Health and reproductive rights

2.2.1 Development Education

(employment opportunity,

skill development training, etc.)

2.2.2 Gender Mainstreaming

2.3.1 Women‟ Equity & Rights

2.3.2 Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change

Adaptation

2.4.1 Participatory Governance

2.4.2 Civil Society Development

45

Institution Stage:

Strategy Approaches to Program Outputs to be observed in

Technical Sectors

1. Developing

Institutions

(targeted at the

CBOs / local

businesses / locally

owned coops/local

government, etc.)

1.1 Capacity building

1.2 Networking / Partnership

Development

1.3 Research

1.4 Disaster Response &

Preparedness

1.1.1 Participatory Governance

1.1.2 Gender Mainstreaming

1.1.3 Development Education

(trade skill development)

1.2.1 Pro-poor Civil Society Development at local

and national level

Possible Focus:

1.3.1 “Civil society potential”

1.3.2 “Local CBO – Dhaka based environmental civil

society link & development.”

1.3.3 “Profit – non-profit nexus & conflict

resolution”

1.4.1 Natural Resource Management & Rural

Development

1.4.2 Enterprise Development

1.4.3 Emergency Response

1.4.4 Risk Management & Mitigation

46

Strategy Approaches to Program Outputs to be observed

2. Developing economic condition of

women and poor marginalized

groups in the haor region

(possibly by

attracting investment from the

private sector with support from GoB)

(targeted at sub-national and

national level businesses/corporate

structures, GoB, the CBOs / local

businesses / locally owned coops

etc.)

3. Investment in innovating haor

specific crop, wave resistant

floating seed bed, protection of

land from erosion, utilization of

land in dry season for integrated

management approach,

2.1 Capacity building

2.2 Networking / Partnership

Development

2.3 Research

2.4 Policy Influencing

3.1 Research

2.1.1 Participatory Governance

2.2.1 Civil Society Development

Possible Focus:

2.3.1 “market studies”

2.3.2 “need gap analysis of haor region”

2.3.3 “haor specific unique market points‟

2.3.4 “environment based business opportunities”

2.4.1 Natural Resource Management & Rural

Development

2.4.2 Enterprise Development

3.1.1 Natural Resource management

& Rural Development

(advocacy with parliamentary

groups/caucus, involved policy

makers, local level politicians,

environmental groups for claim and

access of the poor groups and women in haor resources

etc.)

3.2.1 Research & Pilot projects to be implemented with

support from and in collaboration with BRRI,

BARI, National Herbarium, Ministry of Food &

Disaster, GoB.

47

Wellbeing Stage (community focus to effect redistribution of wealth generated from

individual development):

Strategy Approaches to Program Outputs to be observed in

Technical Sectors

1. Maintenance of water

resources and

ensuring enriched

livelihoods through

stopping depletion of

aquatic resources:

Haor eco-enrichment

component within Haor

livelihood project

1.1 Capacity building

1.2 Networking / Partnership

Development

1.3 Community Development

1.4 Disaster Response &

Preparedness

1.5 Public Education

2.1 Policy Influence

2.2 Capacity building

2.3 Research

1.1.1 Participatory Governance

1.2.1 Civil Society Development

1.3.1 Natural Resource Management & Rural Development (focus on

transport system & road network – in one word: infrastructure &

communication) 1.3.2 Enterprise Development & Micro-finance

1.3.3 Basic Education

1.3.4 Basic Health

1.4.1 Emergency Response

1.4.2 Risk Management & Mitigation

1.5.1 Women‟s Equity & Rights

1.5.2 HIV/AIDS

2.1.1 Natural Resource Management & Rural Development

2.1.2 Risk Management & Mitigation

2.2.1 Emergency Response

2.2.2 Participatory Governance

2.2.3 Civil Society Development

2.2.4 Gender Mainstreaming

2.2.5 Development Education

(wetland management & community living)

2.3.1 Collaboration with World Fish Center, IUCN, CEGIS, CNRS, etc. to

research and feed the relevant policy agenda

48

Suggestive Activity17 Index for Community Development:

Following measures can be possible livelihood interventions that can contribute towards

delivering sustained impact in people‟s livelihoods and wellbeing:

Potential new occupations and changes in the communities:

To increase livelihood options the following can be done:

Pigeon can be reared for income generation

Crop diversification is needed. Mustard, garlic, lentil, etc. should be tried for more

profit

New IGAs like katha shelai, beter kaj, shoe/sandal making, etc. should be encouraged

Livestock – cows/goats of good health can be brought from other districts and cow

fattening projects can become an IGA

As part of promoting migration as a substitute IGA, both seasonal and long term

migration can be targeted and male members of families could be trained as drivers

or on some other skills where they can pick and choose regions/cities and work based

on their skills.

Poor people of the haor can be brought under samities formed by them and financed

to start water irrigation business with purchase of shallow pump. This opens up a new

avenue for income generation and lowers the price of irrigation water.

Local people can be trained as medical assistants who can then be certified and let

practice first aid and work as counselor and as referral points in other critical medical

needs. It can itself be an income generating program.

Engaging community and especially women in:

in disaster management (role of UDMC, SMCs, women UP members)

in generating and sustaining general livelihoods. For example:

o as part of the IGAs girls / females could also be trained to become skilled factory

workers in shoe/sandal manufacturing industries or garment industries.

o To fast increase employment opportunity for the people in the haor region,

training schemes could be introduced for girls/females who wants to work as

house help in other cities or aspiring international labour migrants.

Government can initiate private-public partnership through the haor development board.

NGOs can play a significant part as a go between in this initiative. So, the private sector

will have all the insights to plan their businesses and development partnership

accordingly. Joining hands from businesses, NGOs, and GoB can generate work.

Following could be seen as measures:

NGOs can be persuaded to take lease of these large water bodies and employ

community fishing and harvesting.

17 Please note that this is not the strategy. It is a wish list of activities to ensure better livelihoods. Except a few

most of the point in the list has come from the field survey.

49

Road and embankment network can be built jointly and management can be run by

the private sector to secure their investment. Or the same benefit can be given to

them by tax breaks for businesses instituted in the haor region.

Agro based projects can be developed incorporating newly invented – low cost tools

by farmers in the different parts of the country.

Service sector development – transport, health care, schooling, etc. can be an option.

Health Security:

Provision of technologically sound hygiene Latrine and pure drinking water is a must.

Create health volunteers in the community with training on health and equipping

them with knowledge and first aid kits.

Create more Trained Birth Attendance (TBA) through training and provide necessary

primary ENC kits considering ANC and PNC.

Provision of boat or Van for carrying the patients to the health complex.

Providing health messages to the communities through health volunteers to ensure

good health for the people, especially for pregnant, lactating mother and children.

Raise awareness against traditional perception on disease and treatment. Promote

referral system along with doa and tabiz.

Institutional Support & accessibility:

Seed, fertilizer storage and distribution facilities are not available to GoB at the Upazilla

level. Proper timing and planning is not done to build (link)roads and provisions for

commuting services.

NGOs only stick to their plan and program. Reality and needs are often overlooked.

SMCs, UDMCs are inactive and unknown to people. Distribution of allowances (SSN) from

Union Parishad and Upazilla still do not reach the poor only.

Economic Security of women:

In improving their lives and livelihood conditions women claimed and suggested following

options:

Need and situation based soft loan (with terms of long term refund system) in large

amount for petty business like bamboo craft, grocery shop, pottery product,

garments in small scale, etc.

Provide support for technologically sound vegetable cultivation like floating vegetable

cultivation system that can be protected from Afa18l. Training support for seed

production, preservation etc.

Woman can farm potato within chollisha19 in the nearby fellow land – kanda before

sowing paddy seedlings.

Provision for large scale duck farming and training for vaccination and farming

procedure.

18 Afal – big wave that destroys seed beds, edge/banks of haatis. Poor squatters live on this edge. Now a days

Afals can be of 3-5 meters which had previously only 1 meter height. 19 chollisha is a term used by the haor people to mean cultivation period 40 days

50

Provide support of good variety of cow from outside the haor area and training of

vaccination, fattening for cow farming.

As it is found in some areas women are involved in embroidery of garment and shoes,

women folks can further be trained on garments production.

It is need to be involved husband or man member of the family in any intervention to

woman for keeping free her from over burden of work. And it also helps man to feel

ownership of such activities

Disaster risk reduction and human aid:

a) Silted river beds needs to dredged and depth increased. At the same time the

dredged soil from the river bed should be used to raise the bank of the river to

contain flash floods. This containment will effectively reduce affects of flash flood and

hence do away with more than sixty percent of the problems.

b) Haor centered local aid collection system should be introduced to compliment NGO

and Government interventions.

c) climate change related training and community awareness can be planned and

disseminated.

Issues involved in livelihood strategy and responsible wellbeing includes:

Women‟s agency development process:

To free the women from social stigma, religious prejudices awareness raising activities

have definitely contributed. It helped in breaking the silence against the centuries-old

tradition that perpetuates discrimination and violent culture against women. Awareness

raising program on human rights especially on rights of the women and children are

important.

Support and initiative from state and stakeholders:

a) Communication and transportation infrastructure is a must and first. Without mobility

people cannot access anything. The first step must be transportation and

communication infrastructure which will reflect haor‟s natural make up. That is no

road network should be built making the haor areas water logged. Dykes and slues

gates should be built that will be connected through raised embankments which will

be used as road during dry season. These may remain submerged for a period of 3

months only when communication will be done with boats.

b) Rather than focusing only on building embankments and dykes, the government

should concentrate on river dredging, improvement of irrigation facilities and

mechanisms, ensuring availability of seeds – fertilizer – pesticides, alternative

methods of farming and agriculture for the haor areas.

c) Floating and smaller units of schools may be used

d) floating net fish hatching system

51

e) floating seedbed should be introduced provided there is a way for scientists to

innovate wave resistant floating seed beds.

f) Seed, fertilizer and grain storage and marketing/distribution system/support

mechanism should be in place at the Upazilla level.

g) Silted river beds needs to be dredged and depth increased. At the same time the

dredged soil from the river bed should be used to raise the bank of the river to

contain flash floods. This containment will effectively reduce affects of flash flood and

hence do away with more than sixty percent of the problems.

h) Exchange visits of the community people (project beneficiaries) in the haor system

through the PNGO network should be initiated immediately to get result from

increased mobility and exposure.

i) OHK should only initiate IGAs where sufficient fund for a scale would be ensured

rather than going for numbers. Less will be more. For example, in duck rearing 40-50

would be good number than current 8-10.

j) Market linkages and means of transporting produces need to be established for them

and assistance given in sustaining them for a period.

Wellbeing & welfare issues – focus on the entitlement & social capital nexus:

a. There has to be a way of ensuring that haors/water bodies do not degrade at their

current rate and stop in the near future. That itself will help livelihood situation.

Hence, associated issues like haor lease management, resource distribution needs to

be revised.

b. ensure safe drinking water Haati based tube wells should be given.

c. Mobile floating hospitals can travel through the region for 9 months.

d. Haati based vaccination volunteers, birth attendants (to become TBAs) should be

trained and given responsibility to cover their areas.

e. Well to do people of each Haati can be brought under solar power project through

NGO-Private sector collaboration to provide electricity.

f. People need to be made aware of the fact that there are „committees for

development‟ at the Ward and Union level where they can participate.

g. PNGOs can intervene with legal aid in cases of early marriage and dowry.

h. Capacity of PNGO staff in terms of outlook development, skill development and self-

belief in the haor livelihood project should be developed significantly.

i. Haor centered local aid collection system should be introduced to compliment and

supplant the fund for OHK/PNGO‟s interventions.

52

Awareness on rights & entitlements:

NGO field activists must be trained first.

Community awareness development must be undertaken and monitored. This

awareness campaign and results must be monitored regularly, compiled and analysed

after dissemination to check on the results.

Advocacy measures can be taken up at the local and national level to raise awareness

and attitude in the government, its agencies on the issues pertinent to the haor

areas.

Long term measures:

NGOs should find out a way to patch up with private sector financial institutions that

will invest with NGOs to take lease of the Jalmahals from the government and involve

real fishermen for community fishing.

Depletion of resources in the haor area needs to put at full stop. If there is no

resource is left to play upon all capacity building of the katalysts and stakeholders‟

interventions will fall on the face. „Haor eco-enrichment‟ components need to be

planned along with livelihood security projects.

Responsible wellbeing will bring agency of poor in proper light. But to initiate

„responsible wellbeing‟ in its true sense OHK / PNGOs need to start dealing with

community level groups directly. Plan and execute interventions along with them.

That will set the ideas of organization, learning, capability, resilience, result

orientation in motion. Moreover it will instill belief in the haor poor people to assert

and achieve.

A revision of the livelihood framework prepared by OHK is needed for functional

reasons. Political capital needs to be seen as pervasive and as manifested in power

relations and negotiation processes of every other five capitals.

Concluding words for this report

In conclusion it can be said that only awareness raising or social security will not elevate

the standard of living of general people of haor region and especially the position of

women in the community over night or change the perception of life of the haor people

within a short time. But it is a generational investment that will have to be made. Basic

infrastructure and communication is the key to the overall and sustainable development

of the people in the region. Investing in women in concrete terms, as well as transferring

asset or income, requires high priority to make them self reliant. If women are

empowered and developed a whole new healthy able generation will come up. Ultimately

that will develop people‟s self esteem and make them responsible for their as well as

their community‟s development.

53

NOTE:

54

Annex 1

Field Findings

55

Livelihood Matrix

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Daily Lab

or

Fish

er M

an

Farm

er

Shar

e Cr

oper

s

Smal

l Ent

erpr

enou

r

Oth

ers

Daily Labor

Fisher Man

Farmer

Share Cropers

Small Enterprenour

Others

Present Livelihood Scenario at Haor

Kishoreganj scenario

Tahirpur scenario

Sulla scenario

56

Work – Mobility – Seasonal Migration Calendar

µwgK

bs

Avc‡`i

weeiY

‰ekvL ‰Rô Avlvp kªveY fv ª Avwk¦b KwZ©K AMÖnvqb ‡cŠl gvN dvêyY ‰PÎ

1. K…wlKvR

2. gvQ aiv ‡ekx Kg

3. w`bgRyi

4. ¶z ª e¨emv Kg

µwgK

bs

Kv‡Ri

weeiY

‰ekvL ‰Rô Avlvp kªveY fv ª Avwk¦b KwZ©K AMÖnvqb ‡cŠl gvN dvêyY ‰PÎ

1. K…wlKvR

2. gvQ aiv

3. w`bgRyi

4. Kqjv cwienb ïaygvÎ `t kªxcyi

µwgK bs Kv‡Ri

weeiY

‰ekvL ‰Rô Avlvp kªveY fv`ª Avwk¦b KwZ©K AMÖnvqb ‡cŠl gvN dvêyY ‰PÎ

1. K…wlKvR

2. gvQ aiv

3. w`bgRyi nweecyi BDwbqb

4. Kqjv

cwienb

evnvov BDwbqb

5. gvwUKvUv evnvov BDwbqb

6. evk I †e‡Zi

KvR

7. ¶z`ª e¨emv

8. nuv‡mi Lvgvi nweecyi BDwbqb

Kishoreganj scenario

Tahirpur scenario

Sulla scenario

57

Crop and Food grain

µwgK

bs

dm‡ji weeiY ‰ekvL ‰Rô Avlvp kªveY fv`ª Avwk¦b KwZ©K AMÖnvqb ‡cŠl gvN dvêyY ‰PÎ

1.

‡ev‡iv avb

2.

‡Mvj Avjy, wgwó

Kzgov, gwiP,

ev`vg, †cqvR,

imyb

3.

gyjv, mwilv,

dzjKwc, evavKwc,

U‡g‡Uv, †e¸b

µwgK bs dm‡ji

weeiY

‰ekvL ‰Rô Avlvp kªveY fv`ª Avwk¦b KwZ©K AMÖnvqb ‡cŠl gvN dvêyY ‰PÎ

1. ‡ev‡iv avb

2. wZj, awbqv, Avjy,

Mg, fyÆv,

wcqvR, imyb,

gwiP, mewR

3. Kv›`vq mewR Pvl `t kªxcyi

µwgK

bs

dm‡ji

weeiY

‰ekvL ‰Rô Avlvp kªveY fv`ª Avwk¦b KwZ©K AMÖnvqb ‡cŠl gvN dvêyY ‰PÎ

1. ‡ev‡iv avb

2. iwe km¨

3. Kv›`vq mewR

Pvl

evnvov BDwbqb

Kishoreganj scenario

Tahirpur scenario

Sulla scenario

58

Disaster Calendar

µwgK

bs

Avc‡`i

weeiY

‰ekvL ‰Rô Avlvp kªveY fv`ª Avwk¦b KwZ©K AMÖnvqb ‡cŠl gvN dvêyY ‰PÎ

1. AvMvg eb¨v/

cvnvox Xj

2. eb¨v

3. ‣kZ¨ cÖevn/

Nb Kzqvkv

4. Liv

5. Avdvj/

†XD (evox

fv½v)

6. Kvj •ekvLx/

U‡b©‡Wv

7. AwZ e„wó/

wkjv e„wó

µwgK

bs

Avc‡`i

weeiY

‰ekvL ‰Rô Avlvp kªveY fv`ª Avwk¦b KwZ©K AMÖnvqb ‡cŠl gvN dvêyY ‰PÎ

1. AvMvg eb¨v/

cvnvox Xj

2. eb¨v

3. ‣kZ¨ cÖevn/

Nb Kzqvkv

4. Liv

5. Kvj •ekvLx/

U‡b©‡Wv

6. AwZ e„wó/

wkjv e„wó

Kishoreganj scenario

Tahirpur scenario

59

µwgK

bs

Avc‡`i weeiY ‰ekvL ‰Rô Avlvp kªveY fv`ª Avwk¦b KwZ©K AMÖnvqb ‡cŠl gvN dvêyY ‰PÎ

1. AvMvg eb¨v/

cvnvox Xj

2. eb¨v

3. ‣kZ¨ cÖevn/

Nb Kzqvkv

4. Liv

5. NywY©So

6. AwZ e„wó/

wkjv e„wó

7. ‡XD / Avdvj

8. KvKovi Avµgb nweecyi BDwbqb

9. B`y‡ii Avµgb nweecyi BDwbqb

10. ‡cvKvi Avµgb nweecyi BDwbqb

11. eRªcvZ evnvov BDwbqb

Sulla scenario

60

Resource & Social Mapping

cÖ‡qvRb Abymv‡i m¤ú‡`i µgvbymvi

DËi kªxcyi BDwbqb - Tahirpur

µwgK bs m¤ú‡`i weeiY i¨v¼

1. nvIo Gi grm cÖK‡í ¯’vbxq `vwi‡ ªi AwaKvi wbwðZ Kiv

mnR k‡Z© BRviv cÖ_vi e¨e¯’v

01

2. K…wl Drcv`‡b ch©vß exR/ mvi/ KxUbvkK/ †mP myweav wbwðZ

Kiv I mnR k‡Z© FY myweav cÖ`vb

02

3. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi e¨e ’v Kiv 03

4. wUDe I‡qj I m¨vwbUvix †jwUªb mnR k‡Z© weZiY I fZz©Kx

cÖ`vb hv‡Z ¯’vc‡bi wbivc` ¯’vb •Zix Kiv hvq

04

5. cÖv_wgK we`¨vj‡qi wk¶v cÖ`v‡bi cÖ‡qvRbxq (wk¶K mn)

DcKib cÖ`vb, e„wËi UvKv mK‡ji Rb¨, wUwd‡bi e¨e¯’v

Kiv

8+

6. ‡hvMv‡hvM e¨e ’vi Dbœqbt iv¯—vNvU ms¯‥vi I wbgvY©, b`x

ms‡hvM, Lvj Lbb cye©K cÖ‡qvRbxq e¨e ’v MÖnb

05

7. Lvm Rwg, Rj gn‡j `wi ª‡`I AwaKvi wbwðZ KiY (Nym,

ybx©wZ eÜ Kiv)

08

8. AvMvg eb¨vi nvZ †_‡K dmj i¶vi Rb¨ eva wbgv©Y, ms¯‥vi I

DPzKib

05+

9. cvwb mnvqK e„¶ Pviv †ivcb I meyR †eóbx •Zix Kiv 06

10. `vwi ª †kªYx‡Z msMVb wbgvY© I cÖ‡qvRbxq c„ô‡cvlKZv `vb 09

11. wfwU i¶vi Rb¨ †XD cÖ‡U± Iqvj wbgv©Yt Rwic cye©K cvwbi

cÖ‡ek c_ I †g․mygx evZvm Abyhvqx

11

12. BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbœqb KwgwU‡Z `wi ª

†kªbxi Ask MÖnb I gZ cÖKv‡ki AwaKvi (we‡kl ØvwqZ¡

w`‡q wbwðZ Kiv

07

13. ‡eKvi kªwgK‡`i Rb¨ weKí Kg©ms¯’vb m„wót ¶z`ª e¨emv, n¯—

wkí, †mjvB KvR, mewR Pv‡li e¨e ’v Kiv

08

14. ¯’vbxq msMVb, ¯’vbxq cÖkvmb I †mev cÖ`vb Kvix ms ’v¸‡jvi

mgwšZ D‡`¨v‡M ’vbxq m¤ú‡`i m‡e©v”P e¨e¯’v wbwðZ

Kib

06

61

cÖ‡qvRb Abymv‡i m¤ú‡`i µgvbymvi

`w¶Y kªxcyi BDwbqb - Tahirpur

µwgK bs m¤ú‡`i weeiY i¨v¼

1. nvIo Gi grm cÖK‡í ¯’vbxq `vwi‡ ªi AwaKvi wbwðZ Kiv

mnR k‡Z© BRviv cÖ_vi e¨e¯’v

01

2. K…wl Drcv`‡b ch©vß exR/ mvi/ KxUbvkK/ †mP myweav wbwðZ

Kiv I mnR k‡Z© FY myweav cÖ`vb

02

3. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi e¨e ’v Kiv 05

4. cÖv_wgK we`¨vj‡qi wk¶v cÖ`v‡bi cÖ‡qvRbxq (wk¶K mn)

DcKib cÖ`vb, e„wËi UvKv mK‡ji Rb¨, wUwd‡bi e¨e¯’v

Kiv

04

5. ‡hvMv‡hvM e¨e ’vi Dbœqbt iv¯—vNvU ms¯‥vi I wbgvY©, b`x

ms‡hvM, Lvj Lbb cye©K cÖ‡qvRbxq e¨e ’v MÖnb

11

6. IqvUmb Kvh©µg (¯^v ’¨ m¤§Z) 100% ev¯—evqb Ki‡Z n‡e 03

7. Dbœqb e¨e¯’vcbv welqK KwgwU ¸‡jv‡K †X‡j mvRv‡Z n‡e 12

8. we, Avi, wW, we I GbwRI‡`i FY Kvh©µg ¯”Q Ki‡Z n‡e

Ges F‡Yi cvkvcvwk mswk­ ó wel‡q `¶Zv Dbœqb welqK

cÖwk¶Y w`‡Z n‡e|

11

9. we y¨r e¨e¯’vi cÖmvi NUv‡Z n‡e Ges †m‡Pi †¶Î, †cvjwUª

dv‡g©i Rb¨ QvÎ/QvÎx‡`i covi Rb¨ we yr Acwinvh©

12

10. wfwU i¶vi Rb¨ †XD cÖ‡U± Iqvj wbgv©Yt Rwic cye©K cvwbi

cÖ‡ek c_ I †g․mygx evZvm Abyhvqx

07

11. eb¨vi ci ¶wZMÖ ’ evoxNi wbgvY© wm, Gd, Wvwe­ D Gi e¨e¯’v

wbwðZ Kib

06

12. BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbœqb KwgwU‡Z `wi ª

†kªbxi Ask MÖnb I gZ cÖKv‡ki AwaKvi (we‡kl ØvwqZ¡

w`‡q wbwðZ Kiv)

08

13. emZ wfwU Gi cwicyY© e¨envi wbwðZ Kib 10

14. Lvm Rwg, Rj gn‡j `wi ª‡`I AwaKvi wbwðZ KiY 13

15. ebvqb I e„¶‡ivcb I meyR †eóbx wbg©vb 09

62

Kv ‘j BDwbqb – - Kishoreganj

µwgK bs m¤ú‡`i weeiY i¨v¼

1. nvIo Gi grm cÖK‡í ¯’vbxq `vwi‡ ªi AwaKvi wbwðZ Kiv

mnR k‡Z© BRviv cÖ_vi e¨e¯’v

03++

2. K…wl Drcv`‡b ch©vß exR/ mvi/ KxUbvkK/ †mP myweav wbwðZ

Kiv I mnR k‡Z© FY myweav cÖ`vb

02++

3. cÖvbx m¤ú` wefv‡Mi mn‡hvMxZv wbwðZ Kivt cÖwk¶Y, †fw·b,

wPwKrmv wbwðZ Kiv

04+

4. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi e¨e ’v Kiv 01+

5. wUDe I‡qj I m¨vwbUvix †jwUªb mnR k‡Z© weZiY I fZz©Kx

cÖ`vb hv‡Z ¯’vc‡bi wbivc` ¯’vb •Zix Kiv hvq

01

6. cÖv_wgK we`¨vj‡qi wk¶v cÖ`v‡bi cÖ‡qvRbxq (wk¶K mn)

DcKib cÖ`vb, e„wËi UvKv mK‡ji Rb¨, wUwd‡bi e¨e¯’v

Kiv

02+

7. BDwbqb wfwËK nvB¯‥zj wbg©vY I wk¶vi my‡hvM 08

8. ‡hvMv‡hvM e¨e ’vi Dbœqbt iv¯—vNvU ms¯‥vi I wbgvY©, b`x

ms‡hvM, Lvj Lbb cye©K cÖ‡qvRbxq e¨e ’v MÖnb

05

9. Lvm Rwg, Rj gn‡j `wi ª‡`I AwaKvi wbwðZ KiY (Nym,

ybx©wZ eÜ Kiv)

08

10. b`x Lbb cye©K grm Pvl I mviv eQi ‡b․PjvPj wbwðZ Kiv 06

11. AvMvg eb¨vi nvZ †_‡K dmj i¶vi Rb¨ eva wbgv©Y, ms¯‥vi I

DPzKib

03

12. cvwb mnvqK e„¶ Pviv †ivcb I meyR †eóbx •Zix Kiv 09

13. `vwi ª †kªYx‡Z msMVb wbgvY© I cÖ‡qvRbxq c„ô‡cvlKZv `vb 10

14. wfwU i¶vi Rb¨ †XD cÖ‡U± Iqvj wbgv©Yt Rwic cye©K cvwbi

cÖ‡ek c_ I †g․mygx evZvm Abyhvqx

11

15. eb¨vi ci ¶wZMÖ ’ evoxNi wbgvY© wm, Gd, Wvwe­ D Gi e¨e¯’v

wbwðZ Kib

07

16. BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbœqb KwgwU‡Z `wi ª

†kªbxi Ask MÖnb I gZ cÖKv‡ki AwaKvi (we‡kl ØvwqZ¡

w`‡q wbwðZ Kiv

04

17. ‡eKvi kªwgK‡`i Rb¨ weKí Kg©ms¯’vb m„wót ¶z`ª e¨emv, n¯—

wkí, †mjvB KvR, mewR Pv‡li e¨e ’v Kiv

03

18. dmj msi¶‡bi Rb¨ †MvjvNi wbgv©Y, dmj cÖ‡m‡mi Rb¨

KwgDwbwU ‡eRW wdì •Zix

02

63

AóMÖvg BDwbqb - Kishoreganj

µwgK bs m¤ú‡`i weeiY i¨v¼

1. K…wl Drcv`‡b ch©vß exR/ mvi/ KxUbvkK/ †mP myweav wbwðZ

Kiv I mnR k‡Z© FY myweav cÖ`vb

08

2. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi e¨e ’v Kiv 08

3. cÖv_wgK we`¨vj‡qi wk¶v cÖ`v‡bi cÖ‡qvRbxq (wk¶K mn)

DcKib cÖ`vb, e„wËi UvKv mK‡ji Rb¨, wUwd‡bi e¨e¯’v

Kiv

01

4. ‡hvMv‡hvM e¨e ’vi Dbœqbt iv¯—vNvU ms¯‥vi I wbgvY©, b`x

ms‡hvM, Lvj Lbb cye©K cÖ‡qvRbxq e¨e ’v MÖnb

05

5. IqvUmb Kvh©µg (¯^v ’¨ m¤§Z) 100% ev¯—evqb Ki‡Z n‡e 03

6. Dbœqb e¨e¯’vcbv welqK KwgwU ¸‡jv‡K †X‡j mvRv‡Z n‡e 10

7. we, Avi, wW, we I GbwRI‡`i FY Kvh©µg ¯”Q Ki‡Z n‡e

Ges F‡Yi cvkvcvwk mswk­ ó wel‡q `¶Zv Dbœqb welqK

cÖwk¶Y w`‡Z n‡e|

11

8. we y¨r e¨e¯’vi cÖmvi NUv‡Z n‡e Ges †m‡Pi †¶Î, †cvjwUª

dv‡g©i Rb¨ QvÎ/QvÎx‡`i covi Rb¨ we yr Acwinvh©

12

9. wfwU i¶vi Rb¨ †XD cÖ‡U± Iqvj wbgv©Yt Rwic cye©K cvwbi

cÖ‡ek c_ I †g․mygx evZvm Abyhvqx

03

10. eb¨vi ci ¶wZMÖ ’ evoxNi wbgvY© wm, Gd, Wvwe­ D Gi e¨e¯’v

wbwðZ Kib

06

11. BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbœqb KwgwU‡Z `wi ª

†kªbxi Ask MÖnb I gZ cÖKv‡ki AwaKvi (we‡kl ØvwqZ¡

w`‡q wbwðZ Kiv)

07

12. ‡eKvi kªwgK‡`i Rb¨ weKí Kg©ms¯’vb m„wót ¶z`ª e¨emv, n¯—

wkí, †mjvB KvR, mewR Pv‡li e¨e ’v Kiv

02

64

nweecyi BDwbqb - Sulla

µwgK bs m¤ú‡`i weeiY i¨v¼

1. ¯v¯’ †K› ª mPj I †mev cÖ`vb 01

2. cÖYx m¤ú` wefvM I †mev 04

3. K…wl wefv‡Mi †mev wbwðZ Kib 02

4. m¨vbx‡Ukb e¨e ’vcbvi Dbœqb 05

5. ‡hvMv‡hvM e¨e ’v, iv¯—v-NvU •Zix/ ms¯‥vi 07

6. eva wbg©vb 03

7. BD, wW, Gg, wm ¯Pj Kvh©¨ KiY 09

8. Lvm Rwg `vwi‡ ªi g‡a¨ e›Ub, e¨e¯’vcbvq Zv‡`i ¶gZv`vb 08

9. ebvqb I e„¶Pviv †ivcb 10

10. msMVb wbgv©Y I cyuwR MVb 11

11. wUDe I‡qj ’vcb 06

12. cÖv_wgK we`¨vjq e¨e ’vcbvi Dbœqb 04+

13. nvB¯‥zj wbgvY© 05

14. Rjve×Zv yixKib 04

15. nvIo Gi grm cÖK‡í mvavib gvby‡li AvBbMZfv‡e AwaKvi

wbwðZ Kib

03+

16. mswk­ ó BDwbqb GjvKv cwil‡`I Awdm ¯’vcb I Kvh©µg

wbwðZ Kiv

05+

65

evnvov BDwbqb - Sulla

µwgK bs m¤ú‡`i weeiY i¨v¼

1. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi e¨e ’v Kiv 01

2. m¨vbx‡Ukb e¨e ’vcbvi Dbœqb 05

3. GjvKvi wk¶v e¨e¯’vcbvi Awbqg ~iKiv, mK‡ji Rb¨ e„wËi

e¨e¯’v Kiv, cÖ‡qvRbxq DcKib I GmGgwm Gi

Kvh©KvixZv wbwðZ Kiv

03

4. dmj cÖ‡mwms, msi¶‡Yi †MvjvNi, AvaywbK cÖhyw³ wbwðZ

Kivi cvkvcvwk mvi, exR, KxUbvkK cvIqv wbwðZ Kiv

04

5. cÖvYx m¤ú` wefv‡Mi chv©ß †jvK e‡ji gva¨‡g G m¤ú‡`i

msi¶Y, Dbœqb I cÖmw¯— evov‡bv `iKvi

05

6. nvIo Gi grm cÖK‡í mvavib gvby‡li AvBbMZfv‡e AwaKvi

wbwðZ Kib

06

7. mswk­ ó BDwbqb GjvKv cwil‡`i Awdm ¯’vcb I Kvh©µg

wbwðZ Kiv| BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbœqb

KwgwU‡Z `wi ª †kªbxi Ask MÖnb I gZ cÖKv‡ki AwaKvi

07

8. dmj i¶veva, Avkªq‡K› ª wbgv©Y, Lvj I b`x Lbb 08

9. Qq gvm †eKvi kªwgK‡`i Kg©ms¯’vb Kivt wRI/GbwRI Gi

gva¨‡g mnR k‡Z© `xN© †gqv`x wKw¯—‡Z F‡Yi e¨e¯’v Kiv|

09

10. ‡fw·‡bUi, avÎx cÖwk¶Y I DcKib weZib 10

11. eb¨vi ci wmGd Wwe­ D/†Uó wiwjd Gi gva¨‡g `wi ª gvby‡li

wfwU, mewR evMvb, cï msi¶b Ni ms¯‥vi Kiv

11

12. bvix‡`i eq¯‥ wk¶v, cvwievwiK AvBb, `¶Zv Dbœqb welqK

Kvh©µg MÖnb I cÖwk¶Y cÖ`vb|

12

13. BDwbqb wfwËK (†f․MwjK Ae ’v‡f‡`) nvB¯‥zj wbgvY© 13

14. e„¶‡ivcb/mvgvwRK ebvqb wbgv©Y/weKí Drcv`b welqK

cÖwk¶b I DcKib weZib BZ¨vw` wbwðZ Kib

14

66

Annex 2

Checklists used in the research

67

Issue checklist for KII – LGI

Office/Designation: name: Date:

Subject Profile:

age occupation area / locality

gender ethnicity HH head -

Community brief:

educational background in the community – enrollment/drop out issues (sex segregated

and ethnicity / religion based) exposure pattern – domestic & international

mobility (purpose & pattern – sex segregated)

potential new occupations (based on sex /ethnicity / religion / occupational community)

alternatives during the dry season

wage (male/female ratio)

prevalence and pattern of child labour (sex segregated)

practices of dowry / early marriage / domestic violence / divorce (by women)

land ownership Interventions by GoB / other stakeholders:

coverage by group and with amenities – local government‟s role

packages offered by GoB & NGOs

o Social safety net (SSN): short term: VGD, VGF, FFW/ CFW, Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance,

Disability Allowance, Freedom Fighter Allowance, Maternity Alnc.

long term: FFW (assume one month per worker),

Cash for Work (assuming 1mm/w),

VGF (Three months per beneficiary), Test Relief (one time grant), GR-Food

(one time grant), 100 days employment scheme

process of distribution, coordination & response time management (role of women,

community involvement) needs based on gender / ethnicity / age group – for old / disability

migration (internal & international) as an alternative livelihood strategy (sex/ethnicity)

migration & IGAs by women (e.g., Kanda land cultivation) as a livelihood strategy

capacity building – at what level, for which group (– age/occupation/income bracket) Issues in the communities & DOs for LGI:

Jalmahal (water body) and Kanda land

Food security

Climate change and environment

Disaster risk reduction and human aid

Poverty (socio- economic- political)

Culture & Belief Implementation bottlenecks:

in disaster management (role of UDMC, women, women UP members)

in generating and sustaining general livelihoods

in joining hands by businesses – NGO – GoB to generating work / agro based projects Key to the future: (sex /ethnicity /religion /disability /age /occupational community)

women‟s agency development process (incidents, support, etc.)

inclusion & exclusion issues

wellbeing & welfare issues – focus entitlement & social capital nexus

awareness on rights & entitlements

68

Issue checklist for KII – LA

Office/Designation: name: Date:

Subject profile:

age

gender

occupation

ethnicity

area / locality

HH head -

Community brief:

educational background in the community – enrollment/drop out issues (sex

segregated and ethnicity / religion based) exposure pattern – domestic & international

mobility (purpose & pattern – sex segregated)

potential new occupations (based on sex /ethnicity / religion / occupational community)

alternatives during the dry season

wage (male/female ratio)

prevalence and pattern of child labour (sex segregated)

practices of dowry / early marriage / domestic violence / divorce (by women)

land ownership

Interventions by GoB / other stakeholders:

coverage by group and with amenities – local administration‟s role

packages offered by GoB & NGOs

o Social safety net (SSN): short term: VGD, VGF, FFW/ CFW, Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance,

Disability Allowance, Freedom Fighter Allowance, Maternity Alnc.

long term: FFW (assume one month per worker),

Cash for Work (assuming 1mm/w),

VGF (Three months per beneficiary), Test Relief (one time grant), GR-

Food (one time grant), 100 days employment scheme

process of distribution, coordination & response time management (role of women,

community involvement) needs based on gender / ethnicity / age group – for old / disability

migration (internal & international) as an alternative livelihood strategy (sex/ethnicity)

migration & IGAs by women (e.g., Kanda land cultivation) as a livelihood strategy

capacity building – at what level, for which group (– age/occupation/income bracket)

Issues in the communities & DOs for LA:

Jalmahal (water body)

Food security

Climate change and environment

Disaster risk reduction and human aid

Poverty (socio- economic- political)

Culture & Belief

Implementation bottlenecks

in disaster management (role of UDMC, women, women UP members)

in generating and sustaining general livelihoods

in joining hands by businesses – NGO – GoB to generating work / agro based projects Key to the future: (sex /ethnicity /religion /disability /age /occupational community)

women‟s agency development process (incidents, support, etc.)

inclusion & exclusion issues

wellbeing & welfare issues – focus entitlement & social capital nexus

awareness on rights & entitlements

Issue checklist for KII – LP

Partner: name: Date:

Subject profile:

age occupation area / locality

gender ethnicity HH head -

Community brief:

educational background in the community – enrollment/drop out issues (sex

segregated and ethnicity / religion based) exposure pattern – domestic & international

mobility (purpose & pattern – sex segregated)

potential new occupations (based on sex /ethnicity / religion / occupational community)

alternatives during the dry season

wage (male/female ratio)

prevalence and pattern of child labour (sex segregated)

practices of dowry / early marriage / domestic violence / divorce (by women)

land ownership

Interventions by GoB / other stakeholders:

coverage by group and with amenities – local partner‟s role

packages offered by GoB & NGOs

o Social safety net (SSN): short term: VGD, VGF, FFW/ CFW, Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance,

Disability Allowance, Freedom Fighter Allowance, Maternity Alnc.

long term: FFW (assume one month per worker),

Cash for Work (assuming 1mm/w),

VGF (Three months per beneficiary), Test Relief (one time grant), GR-

Food (one time grant), 100 days employment scheme

process of distribution, coordination & response time management (role of women,

community involvement) needs based on gender / ethnicity / age group – for old / disability

migration (internal & international) as an alternative livelihood strategy (sex/ethnicity)

migration & IGAs by women (e.g., Kanda land cultivation) as a livelihood strategy

capacity building – at what level, for which group (– age/occupation/income bracket)

Issues in the communities & DOs for LP:

Jalmahal (water body)

Food security

Climate change and environment

Disaster risk reduction and human aid

Poverty (socio- economic- political)

Culture & Belief

Implementation bottlenecks

in disaster management (role of UDMC, women, women UP members)

in generating and sustaining general livelihoods

in joining hands by businesses – NGO – GoB to generating work / agro based projects Key to the future: (sex /ethnicity /religion /disability /age /occupational community)

women‟s agency development process (incidents, support, etc.)

inclusion & exclusion issues

wellbeing & welfare issues – focus entitlement & social capital nexus

awareness on rights & entitlements

Issue checklist for Consultation meeting (without LPs)

Subject profile:

Venue & Date participants‟ gender rep. ratio

Dept. / Group ethnic rep

Community brief:

educational background in the community – enrollment/drop out issues (sex

segregated and ethnicity / religion based) exposure pattern – domestic & international

mobility (purpose & pattern – sex segregated)

potential new occupations (based on sex /ethnicity / religion / occupational community)

alternatives during the dry season

wage (male/female ratio)

prevalence and pattern of child labour (sex segregated)

practices of dowry / early marriage / domestic violence / divorce (by women)

land ownership

Human Rights situation

Interventions by GoB / other stakeholders:

coverage by group and with amenities – local partner‟s role

packages offered by GoB & NGOs

o Social safety net (SSN): short term: VGD, VGF, FFW/ CFW, Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance,

Disability Allowance, Freedom Fighter Allowance, Maternity Alnc.

long term: FFW (assume one month per worker),

Cash for Work (assuming 1mm/w),

VGF (Three months per beneficiary), Test Relief (one time grant), GR-

Food (one time grant), 100 days employment scheme

process of distribution, coordination & response time management (role of women,

community involvement) Production and market: what they produce and how they sell. needs based on gender / ethnicity / age group – for old / disability

migration (internal & international) as an alternative livelihood strategy (sex/ethnicity)

migration & IGAs by women (e.g., Kanda land cultivation) as a livelihood strategy

capacity building – at what level, for which group (– age/occupation/income bracket)

Issues in the communities & DOs for stakeholders:

Food security

Health

Disaster risk reduction and human aid

Culture & Belief

Implementation bottlenecks

in disaster management (role of UDMC, women, women UP members)

in generating and sustaining general livelihoods

in joining hands by businesses – NGO – GoB to generating work / agro based projects Key to the future: (sex /ethnicity /religion /disability /age /occupational community)

women‟s agency development process (incidents, support, etc.)

inclusion & exclusion issues

wellbeing & welfare issues – focus entitlement & social capital nexus

awareness on rights & entitlements

(blue marked pages NOT PART OF THE CHECKLIST –

just a guideline for the field team of research)

Checking on general Assumptions of issues

Social Development Indices

a) Environment

Swamp patch forest (Bag)

Siltation and water holding capacity of all reservoir

Water logging and drainage congestion

Forest destruction on the Indian hills and its impact on us

Biodiversity of flora and fauna

GoB/NGO initiative on Arsenic

Natural Resource Management

b) Climate Change

Increase or trend in early flashflood

Rise in temperature

Reduction in rainfall

Deep fog,

Drought

Erosion of all sides of villages

Regular season changes

c) Poverty / Socio-economic in political

Natural calamities & incidence of poverty

Rising and over population

Access to public resources (khas land, jalmahal)

Lack of social security program

Lack of modern technology

Lack of alternative livelihood options

Lag in education

Traditional livelihood options - agriculture, fishing, day labor (seasonal migration)

Grabbing of public resources by political leaders

international migration & remittance

Basic Services

a) Health

Mortality rate

Reproductive health

ENC, ANC – PNC (TBA Development)

Primary Health Care Education

Vaccination

Watsan

Nutrition

b) Education

SMC

ECD

NFPE

Adult education & Adolescent education etc.

Advocacy – by GoB or stakeholders / donors

Sustainable livelihood

a. Agriculture

More Production

Quality of seeds

Horticulture & homestead

Field vegetables

CC Related vulnerability

b. Livestock & fisheries

Cow fattening

Milking cow Rearing

Poultry & Duck

Open water fishery

Fish culture

c. Jalmahal

Professional fishermen are not getting lease

Lease captured the total flood plain

Declining resources vis-à-vis increasing lease value

Fisher- farmer conflict on bill water

Flowing rivers under lease

Destructive fishing practices

d. IGA

Small business

Handicraft

Farm & off farm enterprise

Cultivation of Kanda land by women

e. CCA & DRR in relation to livelihoods

Early variety & short duration crops

Crop Diversity

Re-activate UDMC

Disaster Action plan (Contingency Plan)

Infrastructure Development

Promote volunteerism

a. MARKET AND PRIVATE SECTOR

Approach of production

Market of the product

Potential of engaging private sectors

b. PONTENTIAL LIVEHOODS

New livelihood option in the urban areas

Required skills

Migration with informed choice or perusing the available options

Issue checklist for KII (Experts at Dhaka)

Date:

Subject profile:

age occupation & Designation:

gender GoB Dept. / Org.

Community brief:

educational background in the community – enrollment/drop out issues (sex

segregated and ethnicity / religion based) exposure pattern – domestic & international

mobility (purpose & pattern – sex segregated)

potential new occupations (based on sex /ethnicity / religion / occupational community)

alternatives during the dry season

wage (male/female ratio)

prevalence and pattern of child labour (sex segregated)

practices of dowry / early marriage / domestic violence / divorce (by women)

land ownership

Human rights

Interventions by GoB / other stakeholders:

coverage by group and with amenities – local partner‟s role

packages offered by GoB & NGOs

o Social safety net (SSN): short term: VGD, VGF, FFW/ CFW, Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance,

Disability Allowance, Freedom Fighter Allowance, Maternity Alnc.

long term: FFW (assume one month per worker),

Cash for Work (assuming 1mm/w),

VGF (Three months per beneficiary), Test Relief (one time grant), GR-

Food (one time grant), 100 days employment scheme

process of distribution, coordination & response time management (role of women,

community involvement) needs based on gender / ethnicity / age group – for old / disability

migration (internal & international) as an alternative livelihood strategy (sex/ethnicity)

migration & IGAs by women (e.g., Kanda land cultivation) as a livelihood strategy

capacity building – at what level, for which group (– age/occupation/income bracket)

Issues in the communities & DOs for LPs/ LAs/ LGIs/ national stakeholders:

Food security

Disaster risk reduction and human aid

Culture & Belief

Implementation bottlenecks

in disaster management

in generating and sustaining general livelihoods

in joining hands by businesses – NGO – GoB to generating work / agro based projects

Key to the future: (sex /ethnicity /religion /disability /age /occupational community)

women‟s agency development process (incidents, support, etc.)

inclusion & exclusion issues

wellbeing & welfare issues – focus entitlement & social capital nexus

awareness on rights & entitlements

Issue checklist for Case Study

Date:

Subject profile:

age occupation area / locality

gender ethnicity HH head -

General Section:

brief on (perception) Community:

educational background in the community – enrollment/drop out issues (gender ratio)

exposure pattern – domestic & international

mobility

potential new areas of occupation

alternatives during the dry season

Interventions by GoB / other stakeholders:

coverage by group and with amenities – local partner‟s role

packages offered by GoB & NGOs

o Social safety net (SSN): short term: VGD, VGF, FFW/ CFW, Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance,

Disability Allowance, Freedom Fighter Allowance, Maternity Alnc.

long term: FFW (assume one month per worker),

Cash for Work (assuming 1mm/w),

VGF (Three months per beneficiary), Test Relief (one time grant), GR-

Food (one time grant), 100 days employment scheme

process of distribution, coordination & response time management (role of women,

community involvement) needs based on gender / ethnicity / age group – for old / disability

migration (internal & international) as an alternative livelihood strategy (sex/ethnicity)

migration & IGAs by women (e.g., Kanda land cultivation) as a livelihood strategy

capacity building – at what level, for which group (– age/occupation/income bracket)

Issues in the communities & DOs for him/her:

Jalmahal (water body)

Food security

Health

Climate change and environment

Disaster risk reduction and human aid

Poverty (socio- economic- political)

Culture & Belief

Key to the future: (sex /ethnicity /religion /disability /age /occupational community)

women‟s agency development process (incidents, support, etc.)

inclusion & exclusion issues

wellbeing & welfare issues – focus entitlement & social capital nexus

awareness on rights & entitlements

Agency vs. structure – discussion on coping and overcoming barriers

Detailed perception audit for the respondent:

generational changes that s/he has seen in:

household

food – meals / habit /

clothing – season‟s need

numbers of household members

housing pattern

education – enrollment, drop out

economic

land ownership

wage (male/female ratio)

occupation

distance between home and workplace

extra income source

members of earning

financial services

the dadon and mohajoni practices

social safety net (SSN)

social institutions

indigenous knowledge

access to support structures

understanding of and access to justice

benefits of collectivism

social capital & networking

migration and relatives abroad

social trends

child marriage

domestic violence against women

practices of dowry

prevalence of child labour

(blue marked pages NOT PART OF THE CHECKLIST –

just a guideline for the field team of research)

Checking on general Assumptions of issues

Basic Services

a. Health

Reproductive health

Primary Health Care Education

Vaccination

Watsan

Nutrition

b. Education

c. SMC

d. ECD

e. NFPE

f. Adult education & Adolescent education etc.

Social Development Indices

a) Environment

Swamp patch forest

Siltation and water holding capacity of all reservoir

Water logging and drainage congestion

Forest destruction on the Indian hills and its impact on us

Biodiversity of flora and fauna

GoB/NGO initiative on Arsenic

Natural Resource Management

b) Climate Change

Increase or trend in early flashflood

Rise in temperature

Reduction in rainfall

Deep fog

Drought

Erosion of all sides of villages

Regular season changes

c) Poverty / Socio-economic / political

Natural calamities & incidence of poverty

Rising and over population

Access to public resources (khas land, jalmahal)

Lack of social security program

Lack of modern technology

Lack of alternative livelihood options

Lag in education

Traditional livelihood options - agriculture, fishing, day labor (seasonal migration)

Grabbing of public resources by political leaders

international migration & remittance

Sustainable livelihood

c. Agriculture

1. More Production

2. Quality of seeds

3. Horticulture & homestead

4. Field vegetables

5. CC Related vulnerability

d. Livestock & fisheries

Cow fattening

Milking cow Rearing

Poultry & Duck

Open water fishery

Fish culture

e. Jalmahal

Professional fishermen are not getting lease

Lease captured the total flood plain

Declining resources vis-à-vis increasing lease value

Fisher- farmer conflict on bill water

Flowing rivers under lease

Destructive fishing practices

f. IGA

Small business

Handicraft

Farm & off farm enterprise

Cultivation of Kanda land by women

g. MARKET AND PRIVATE SECTOR

Approach of production

Market of the product

Potential of engaging private sectors

h. PONTENTIAL LIVEHOODS

New livelihood option in the urban areas

Required skills

Migration with informed choice or perusing the available options

i. CCA & DRR in relation to livelihoods

Early variety & short duration crops

Crop Diversity

Re-activate UDMC

Disaster Action plan (contingency plan)

Infrastructure Development

Promote volunteerism