Rezai Karim Khondker , Principal Investigator
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Final Report PR #7/08 Food Poverty and Consequent Vulnerability of Children: A Comparative Study of Ethnic Minorities and Monga -Affected Households in Bangladesh By Rezai Karim Khondker , Principal Investigator Department of Economics Shahjalal University of Science and Technology This study was carried out with the support of the National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme December 2010i This study was financed under the Research Grants Scheme (RGS) of the National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP). The purpose of the RGS was to assist in improving research and dialogue within civil society so as to inform and enrich the implementation of the National Food Policy. The NFPCSP is being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU), Ministry of Food and Disaster Management with the financial support of EU and USAID. The designation and presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO nor of the NFPCSP, Government of Bangladesh, EU or USAID and reflects the sole opinions and views of the authors who are fully responsible for the contents, findings and recommendations of this report. ii Contents Page Project: The Team iv Abst ract v Acknowledgement vi Executive summary ix Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Background Information 1 1.2 Monga : A Cycle of Poverty and Hunger 4 1.3 Rationale of the Study 4 1.4 Objectives of the Study 5 1.5 Climate Risks and Monga : A Scenario of Extreme Poverty 6 1.6 Organization of the Report 7 Chapter 2: Review of Literature 8 Chapter 3: Methodology 17 3.1 Socio-economic and Geographical Sketch of the Study Area 17 3.2 Survey and Sample Design 19 3.3 Sample Size 20 3.4 Construction of the Questionnaire 21 3.5 Data Entry and Editing 21 3.6 Conceptual and Econometric Framework 22 3.7 Constraints Faced During Implementation of the Project 31 Chapter 4: Findings 32 4.1 Some Basic S tatistics 32 4.2 Poverty: Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) 42 4.3 Poverty: Direct Calorie Intake (DCI) 43 4.4 Poverty and Vulnerability 44 4.5 Child Poverty 47 4.6 Food Security/Insecurity 49 4.7 Child Labor 50 Chapter 5: Conclusions and Policy Recommendations 55 5.1 Conclusions 55 5.2 Policy Recommendations 57 5.3 Areas for Further Research 59 Bibliography 61 Appendix –A: Maps of the Study Area 67 Appendix – B: Questionnaire 74 Appendix – C: Pictures 83 iii PROJECT Food Poverty and Consequent Vulnerability of Children: A Comparative Study of Ethnic Minorities and Monga -affected Households in Bangladesh THE TEAM 1) Rezai Karim Khondker, Ph. D. (WVU, USA); Principal Investigator (PI), Professor, Department of Economics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114 2) Mr. Zahir Uddin Ahmed; Co-Investigator (CI), Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114 3) Sayan Chakrabarty, Ph.D. (Giessen, Germany); Co-Investigator (CI), Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114 4) 4) Mr. Khan Jahirul Islam; Research Assistant (RA), Lecturer, Department of Economics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114 5) Mr. Mohammad Romel Bhuiya, Research Assistant (RA), Lecturer, Department of Statistics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114 6) Ms. Shayla Khan, Research Assistant (RA), Lecturer, Department of Economics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114 Researcher of the Collaborating Institution 1) Mizanul Hoque Kazal, Ph. D. (IARI, India); Co-Investigator (CI), Professor and Head, Department of Economics, American International University of Bangladesh, Dhaka Research Fellow (RF) 1) Mazbahul Golam Ahamad, outgoing MSS student, Department of Economics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114 iv Abstract Monga is a seasonal scarcity of employment mostly concentrated in the north western region of the country (referred to as the NORTH). Transitory food insecurity, arising from seasonality, natural disasters, etc., occurs even in the presence of a number of social safety programs. The longest pre-harvest period starts in mid-September and lasts through mid- November, when acute food shortage occurs. Severely hit region, known as the monga- affected area, has been identified to be the landscape that lies in the Jamuna and Tista river basin. Ethnic minorities in Bangladesh, mostly concentrated in the south-eastern part (referred to as the SOUTH), comprise approximately 1 % of the total population. A large portion of these minority people live below the poverty line. Child poverty is known to be extensive in this group. Principal objectives of the study were to find if there were any differences in the magnitude of food insecurity and consequent food vulnerability among children from ethnic minorities vis-a-vis children of monga-affected households. The study also attempted to find how important food poverty was, as a determinant of child labor for both groups of children. In general, the poverty rate appeared to be higher among the minority groups. But the monga-affected areas seem to have a higher hardcore poverty rate. Food insecurity seemed to be far more pervasive among the monga-affected households than their counterparts of minority groups. Where households are (food) insecure, we could infer, children also would be insecure. Total vulnerability to poverty was found to be higher in the south, but non-poor were more vulnerable in the north than in the south. Food poverty seemed to be a significant determinant of child labor in the north, but not in the south. In the north, the number of children in the household, food poverty and children not going to school were significant determinants of child labor. However, in the south agricultural income, size of the household, cultivable land and children not going to school turned out to be significant determinants of child labor. v Acknowledgements I am happy to see that at last the project, “Food Poverty and Consequent Vulnerability of Children: A Comparative Study of Ethnic Minorities and Monga -affected Households in Bangladesh” is on the verge of culmination. In June 2008, one of our team members, Khan Jahirul Islam who was also one of my ex-students and a colleague in the department successfully persuaded me to write the proposal. At the beginning though I was kind of reluctant, as the work proceeded in a full swing I became increasingly interested. When finally we received the news of having our proposal accepted, I personally took it as an achievement, for the team. It is my great pleasure to extend my sincere thanks to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for awarding us the opportunity to undertake the challenge. I owe sincere thanks to Dr. Rezaul Karim Talukder and Dr. Marie Jo A. Cortijo, the Technical Assistance Team (TAT) members of the National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP) of FAO for their critique and suggestions, which forced us to review/reanalyze our work over and over again leading to improvement. By the same token, Dr. Ciro Fiorillo, Chief Technical Advisor of NFPCSP deserves thanks for his sharp critique of our research work. Dr. Nur A. Khondaker, Research Grants Administrator deserves tons of thanks for his constant help and suggestions in carrying out the work in its entirety. He has always been in constant touch with me day in and day out. In my dealings, I regarded Dr. Khondaker as an enduring man of high dignity and integrity. On behalf of our team and from my own behalf, many thanks to him. Mr. Khan Jahirul Islam, while trying to persuade me to write the proposal had pledged his whole-hearted cooperation and assistance in the project, should it have become a reality. I am pleased to state that he has lived up to his promise. Beginning from the stage of planning and questionnaire construction through the stage of completion of all econometric works, his contribution to the project has been far more than his fair share, as one of the research assistants. Jahir closely guided and monitored the entire process of entry, editing, filtering, and post-coding of data. He successfully completed the econometric work of feasible generalized least square (FGLS) regression on the vulnerability issue with our cross-section data, which had earlier seemed to be extremely difficult. Jahir painstakingly spent hours and hours studying this topic alone. I do not know how to say thanks but to say thanks to him for his interest, commitment, and all that he has done for the project before leaving the country for higher study abroad. vi Mr. Zahir Uddin Ahmed, one of the co-investigators of the project has been instrumental in planning, executing, supervising and monitoring all operations of the project from the day- one through the present time. From the time of writing the proposal he has been beside me as my protégé. He has had the vital responsibility of managing all financial aspects of the project on my behalf. So far, the job is well done. Indeed had Zahir, with his strong critical but cool and vigilant mind, not been in the team it would be extremely difficult, if not altogether impossible for me to bring it to the point as it is today. He has consistently displayed the highest degree of the sense of responsibility and integrity. I owe him too much to say thanks, but only to express my deep gratitude while wishing him the brightest possible future. Ms. Shayla Khan, one of the research assistants in the project was a good soul with a great sense of humor and an adorable character. Presence of a darling woman like Shayla makes one’s work-life much easier.