MODERNIZATION, VULNERABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE SOUTHWEST BANGLADESH Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Begum, UKM Shawkat ARA Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 09/10/2021 09:43:05 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/205178 MODERNIZATION, VULNERABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE SOUTHWEST BANGLADESH by UKM Shawkat Ara Begum _____________________ A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF ANTHROPOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2011 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by UKM Shawkat Ara Begum entitled Modernization, Vulnerability and Climate Change in Southwest Bangladesh and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy _________________________________________________ Date: 05/13/2011 Dr. Timothy J. Finan _________________________________________________ Date: 05/13/2011 Dr. Thomas K. Park _________________________________________________ Date: 05/13/2011 Dr. James B. Greenberg _________________________________________________ Date: 05/13/2011 Dr. Diane E. Austin _________________________________________________ Date: 05/13/2011 Dr. Steven W. Leavitt Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. _____________________________________________ Date: 05/13/2011 Dissertation Director: Dr. Timothy J. Finan 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: UKM Shawkat Ara Begum 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The intellectual journey for writing the dissertation has been the most significant challenge I have ever faced. This dissertation would not have been completed without the support, guidance, and mentoring of my committee members. I owe my deepest gratitude to: Dr. Timothy J. Finan, Dr. Thomas K. Park, Dr. James B. Greenberg, Dr. Diane E. Austin and Dr. Steven W. Leavitt. I am particularly indebted to my academic advisor Dr. Timothy J. Finan for his constant guidance, invaluable support, and incredible patience throughout the Ph. D. endeavor that began in 2003. I would like to acknowledge the generous support from different sources that made this dissertation possible and successful. The BARA Research Award helped me conducting my fieldwork. The scholarship award of School of Anthropology from Traditions, Transitions, and Treasures Fund provided funding helped me purchasing environment and climate data. The Dissertation Improvement Grant from the Global Change Minor supported my travel cost to go back to Bangladesh for fieldwork. The School of Anthropology provided Tuition-waivers and Graduate Teaching Scholarship that helped keeping my tuition low both when I was in the fieldwork and writing my dissertation here in Tucson. I am grateful to my friends Anita, Jenny, Paula and Eleonora who shared their stories with me and encouraged me throughout this challenging journey. My special thanks to Eleonora who helped me in data analysis with great interest and patience. In the same vein, I am thankful to Maria Rodriguez, BARA Business Manager for the warm support and care she extended to me since the first day we met. I would like to acknowledge contribution of the Ghona-mader Danga villagers, women and men, who selflessly dedicated their time explaining their experience and perception with me. Their contribution made this dissertation a possible one. I also thank Badhon, the Research Assistant, for her hard work during the field research. Most importantly, I would like to thank my mother, sisters and brothers who extended their tremendous support and encouragement. I received phone calls from them almost every day. Without their constant encouragement and love I would not have made it. I would like to thank the wonderful little but very cohesive Bangladeshi community here in Tucson that is always with me. But, my gratitude will remain incomplete if I do not mention four persons: Ismat Shafiqullah, Sumi, Shadhin and Raiyyan for their true love and care. It is they who always gave me encouragement when I am at loss; it is they who made my Tucson life a very enjoyable one. 5 DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my late father, Abdul Quddus. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ………………………………………………………………………8 ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………………………9 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………...11 1. Introduction. ..…………………………………………………………………….....11 2. Modernization ………………………………………………………………………12 3. Vulnerability ………………………………………………………………………..13 4. Climate Change and Vulnerability ………………………………………………….15 5. Bangladesh – The Setting …………………………………………………………..17 5.1 Bangladesh: Modernization of Water Management ……………………………..17 5.2 Bangladesh: Climate Change and Vulnerability …………………………………19 6. Research Objective …………………………………………………………………29 7. Format of this Dissertation ………………………………………………………….30 8. References …………………………………………………………………………..32 CHAPTER TWO: PRESENT STUDY …………………………………………………38 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………38 2. Research Methodology ………………………………………………………….….38 3. Study Area ………………………………………………………………………….41 4. Summary of Appended Papers ……………………………………………………..41 4.1 Summary of First Paper ………………………………..…………….…………...41 4.2 Summary of Second Paper ………………………………………….…………...45 4.3 Summary of Third Paper ………………………………………………………....50 5. Conclusion of this Dissertation ……………………………………………………..54 6. References …………………………………………………………………………..60 APPENDIX A: THE STATE RECOMMENDS, NATURE CONDEMNS: MODERNIZATION IN SOUTHWEST COASTAL BANGLADESH ………………...62 Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………..62 1. Introduction ……………………………..…………………………………………63 1.1 Modernization as Green Revolution …………………………………..…………64 1.2 Modernization and Water Management ………………………………..………..66 2. Methodology ………………………………………………………………………...68 3. Coastal Bangladesh: The Setting ……………………………………………………69 3.1 The Southwest Coastal Region ………………………………………………..…70 4. Traditional Land and Water Management System ………………………………….72 4.1 Beels and Human Settlement ……………………………….…………………....72 4.2 From Traditional to Modern ……………………………………………………..73 5. Ghona-mader Danga Village ……………………………………………………....77 5.1 The Expanding Environmental Stress ……………………………………………80 5.2 Villagers Response to the Environmental Damage ……………………………...84 5.3 States Response to the Environmental Damage ………………………………...88 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS – CONTINUED 5.4 Emergence of Prawn Farming …………………………………………………..89 6. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………89 7. References …………………………………………………………………………92 APPENDIX B: TRAJECTORIES OF CHANGE: AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION, INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE, AND VULNERABILITY ……..96 Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………..96 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………96 2. Beel Dakatia and Local Institutions ……………………………………….………102 2.1 Beel Dakatia: A Freshwater System in Southwest Bangladesh ……………..….102 2.2 Local Institutions: Land, Labor and Capital …………………………..………..104 3. Intensification of Agriculture and Institutional Change …………………………..108 3.1 Shrimp Industry Development …………….…………………………………....108 3.2 Institutional Change ……………………………………………………..……...114 3.3 Specific Changes on Land, Labor and Capital Institutions …………………..…117 3.4 Impacts of Institutional Change ………………………………………………...121 4. Sources of External Vulnerability …………………………………………………125 4.1 Vulnerability to Outside Agents ………………………………………………..125 4.2 Vulnerability to Climate Change …………………………………………….....128 5. Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………...130 6. References …………………………………………………………………………133 APPENDIX C: PRECARIOUS LIVELIHOOD: PRAWN FARMING IN SOUTHWEST BANGLADESH UNDER THE CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE …………..139 Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………139 1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………..139 1.1 Research Questions ………………………………………………………..……141 1.2 Research Importance ……………………………………………………..……..142 1.3 Research Methodology and Data ………………………………………..……...142 2. Prawn Farming and Climate Variability …………………………………………..145 2.1 Prawn Farming in Ghona-mader Danga ……………………………………….145 2.2 Climate Variability ……………………………………………………………...148 3. Modeled Forecasts and Recent Variability ………………………………………...153 3.1 Temperature ………………………………………………………………….…153