PEASANTS' ADruSTMENT TO NATURAL HAZARDS IN BANGLADESH: A CASE STUDY OF TWO UPAZILLAS IN THE BRAHMAPUTRA FLOODPLAIN by Md.MATIURRAHMAN A thesis presented to the University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Docto¡ of Philosophy in Geography Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada O M. M. Rahman, 1992 B¡bliothèque nationale E*E |,1:lå!uo,"o du Canada Acquisitions and Direction des acquisitions et Bibliographic Services Branch des services bibliographiques 395 Wellinoton Streêt 395. rue wellington Ottawa. Oñlario Onawa (Onlario) K1A ON4 KlAON4 Oùt Lle Notrc ¡èIéêãce The author has granted an L'auteur a accordé une l¡cence irrevocable non-exclusive licence irrévocable et non exclusive allowing the National Library of permettant à la Bibliothèque Canada to reproduce, loan, nationale du Canada de distribute or sell copies of reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou his/her thesis by any means and vendre des copies de sa thèse in any form or format, making de quelque manière et sous this thesis available to interested quelque forme que ce soit pour persons. mettre des exemplaires de cette thèse à la disposition des personnes intéressées. The author retains ownership of L'auteur conserve la propriété du the copyright in his/her thesis. droit d'auteur qui protège sa Neither the thesis nor substantial thèse. Ni la thèse ni des extraits extracts from it may be printed or substantiels de celle-ci ne otherwise reproduced without doivent être imprimés ou his/her permission. autrement reproduits sans son autorisation. ISBN ø-315-77788-5 Canadä PEASANÎS f ADJUSTHBNT TO NATI'BAL EAZAXDS IN BANGLADESE: A CASE STI'DY OF TI{O I'PAZII.LAS II¡ TEE BRAEVAPIITRA ELOODPLAIN BY I.{d. I{AIIUR RAEMAN A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Gladuate Studies of the University of Manitoba in pártial fufflhrent of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PEILOSOPEY @ 7992 Pestission has been g¡anted to the LIBRÄRY OF TI{E UNT1¡ERSITY OF fANTTOBA to lend or seil copies of this thesis, to the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA to mic¡ofilm this thesis and to le¡d or sell copies of the film, and TNTVERSITY MICROFILMS to publish an abstsact of this thesis. The author resewes other publication righb, and neiiher the thesis nor extensive exEacts Êom it may be printed or othe¡wise reproduced wilhout the autho/s pe¡BissiorL I hereby declare that I am the sole author ofthis thesis. I authorize the University of Manitoba to lend thesis to other institutions or individuais for purpose of scholarly research. M. M. Rahman I further authorize the University of Manitoba to reproduce this thesis by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research, M. M. Rahman IV Absnact Natural Hazard is a test of survival efficiency of the peasantry in Bangladesh. Peasants have generally been successful in coping with extreme natural events for centuries. The challenges of envi¡onmental extremity are overriding the survival efficiency of the people in recent years. The objective of my work was to look into the causes of such "e¡osion" of adjustment ability through examining the agrarian sftucture in the Brahmapufa flood plain and impact therein of the natural hazards such as river bank erosion and flooding. In the present study, it has been shown that a certain group of elites have brought the',vhole country into a condition similar to "intemal colonialism". The existing political institutions deliberately foster a policy of resource concenEation into the hands of a few. There were impressive achievements in rural inftasÍucture development programmes, but these infrastructure buildings associated with modern innovation in agriculture have benefited the land-rich farmers. It has been argued that the structure of social relations of production moulds the peasants' ability to respond to natual hazards. This ability is a function of socio-economic position of a peasant in the social sÍuctule. The peasanny in Bangladesh is clearly differentiated into classes. Therefore, the impact of flood and bank erosion is experienced differentially by different social classes. Hence, adoption of efficient mitigation measures against a potential hazard is subject to ones' economic ability. Findings from this study suggest that the disfess, dislocations and poverty of peasants are not due to extreme physical phenomenan only . Rather, natural hazards only accentuate the prevailing precarious socio-economic condition. Peasants in the flood plains are as socio-economically snatified as anywhere else in Bangladesh. They are increasingly confronted with the social process of impoverishment which is drastically weakening their ability to adopt suitable strategies for facing hazards of rive¡bank erosion and flooding. It was found that a high proportion of farms operate at a marginal condition. The majority of farms (more than 90 percent) in the study areas fall drastically short of being viable. In terms of production, most of the peasants are incapable of mainøining a bare subsistence and lack the capacity needed to recuperate from disasters. In order to survive, peasants innovate strategies in various informal sectols to supplement their income. Sharecropping as an alternative access to land does not hold any hope for the poor peasants or the landless. It was found that the overall proportion of those renting-out land in the study areas is very insignificant, and tho relationship between tenancy and natural risk is negative. A very high propoûion of households in the study areas does not employ wage labour and a very insignificant number of permanently hired labourers are actually involved in a similarly insignificant number of households. There is a positive relationship between farm size and natural ¡isk. In other words, the households with higher agricultural income are those who experience higher loss of iand due to riverbank e¡osion. However, the proportion of households vulnerable to erosion-loss is not very high compared to the overali population in the study areas. The study suggests that natural hazards are viewed as serious problems, but the majority of peasants are concerned more with day to day problems of survivai. Lack of sufficient 1and, alternative employment opportunities, education and health care services, and housing are all of prime concern for the millions of landless or virtually landless people in the floodplains. The resilience of natual hazard victims is a function of thei¡ conBol of resources or occupational diversity. The amount of land lost to ¡iverbank erosion does not necessarily make one destitute. Moreover, riverbank erosion is not the only cause of loss of land, Despite their economic limitations, villagers offer assistance to victims at a rate exceeding expected levels. It was noted that while larger farmers expect more assistance from local or national government, the poorer peasants expect assistance from within their own community (relatives, ftiends, and villagers). The ¡ole of the state is hardly noticeable despite peoples' expectations. It was found that assistance from local leade¡s and government adminisfation is nil. The most prominent adjustment strategies in Kazipur and Chilmari were to (a) abandon land, (b) sell livestock, and (c) clismantle housing structures and move out. Some have to sell cultivable land and ornaments in order to bear the cost of resettÌement. However, it is the poorer peasants who are forced to make the highest proportion of disfess sales. Results of the present study suggest a need for a drastic shift in rural development stsategies, including \ ater resource management, from those currently being pursued, A comprehensive endeavor to generate rural employment outside of agriculture is urgently needed. It is possible to encourage informal sector investment which will diversify income-generating activities in rural areas . Besides offering formal incentives, monitoring and forecasting of disasters would be needed as necessary mitigation strategy. Since flooding and fast currents cannot be stopped from occuring and eroding lands, peasants can be encouraged to live with such hazæds. In fact, that is what the peasants have been ûying to do for ages. Thus, peasants urgently need a more pragmatic form of support to be successful in their struggle with natu¡e. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study is the result of a collaborative research project under the title of Riverbank Erosion Impact Study (REIS) conducted by The University of Manitoba (U of M), Canada, and Jahangirnagar University (J.U.), Bangladesh, with financial support ftom Inte¡national Development Research CenEe (IDRC), Canada. It is not possible for me to acknowledgo ai1 the assistance given by many persons and organizations. Many people in U of M, J.U. and Kazipur and Chilmari gave much assistance which I regret cannot be acknowledged in proper mannet. I am expressing my gratitude here to the REIS project team, especially to D¡. Jacek Romanowski, and Dr. John R. Rogge for offering me the opportunity to be involved in the REIS project. I am thanldul to Dr. A.F.M. Kamaluddin, the then Vice-Chancellor of J.U., for encouraging me to higher study and to join the REIS research project. I am also thankful to Dr. W. Norton, professor and head of the Department of Geography for admitting me as a graduate student in the Department of Geography, U of M. I wish especially to acknowledge the contribution of my thesis supervisor, Dr. John R. Rogge. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Rogge for his time and patience in advising throughout every stage of the present study. I am thankful to Dr. Raymoncl lViest, Department of Anthropology, U of M, for his insightful comments on earlier drafts of several chapters of my work Thanks are due to Walter Kozak, Belfour Spence, and Chowdhury Haque, for their time in making editorial comments and proof-reading drafts of my work.