Relief assistance to 1998 flood victims: a comparison of the performance of the government and NGOs

With increasing support from the international community, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played an important role in Bangladesh since the early 1970s in providing emergency assistance to disaster victims. After observing widespread corruption and misuse of relief aid by the Bangladesh government in 1974 and subsequent years, external sources began to channellize emergency assistance to the victims through NGOs. Realizing that NGOs were usurping its authority over external disaster assistance, the government looked for opportunities to demonstrate its ability to deliver services to victims. An opportunity came in July 1998 when Bangladesh experienced a devastating flood. Using data collected from 348 households in 11 villages, this paper compares support received by the respondents from the Bangladesh government and NGOs during and immediately after the flood. Respondent opinions regarding emergency relief distribution suggest that both sources performed satisfactorily and an overwhelming majority of them thought that the government performed better than it had previously in distributing relief assistance to flood victims. Following an analysis of the survey data, this paper discusses the policy implications for future disaster assistance efforts in Bangladesh and elsewhere.     

Land use and land cover change in Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh: Using remote sensing to promote sustainable urbanization

This study evaluates land use/cover changes and urban expansion in Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh, between 1975 and 2003 using satellite images and socio-economic data. Spatial and temporal dynamics of land use/cover changes were quantified using three Landsat images, a supervised classification algorithm and the post-classification change detection technique in GIS. Accuracy of the Landsat-derived land use/cover maps ranged from 85 to 90%. The analysis revealed that substantial growth of built-up areas in Greater Dhaka over the study period resulted significant decrease in the area of water bodies, cultivated land, vegetation and wetlands. Urban land expansion has been largely driven by elevation, population growth and economic development. Rapid urban expansion through infilling of low-lying areas and clearing of vegetation resulted in a wide range of environmental impacts, including habitat quality. As reliable and current data are lacking for Bangladesh, the land use maps produced in this study will contribute to both the development of sustainable urban land use planning decisions and also for forecasting possible future changes in growth patterns.     

基于AHP_熵权法的孟印缅地区洪水灾害风险评估

孟印缅三国地处亚热带与热带季风气候区,因自然条件制约,洪涝灾害频繁发生,对“孟中印缅经济走廊”建设将会带来重大影响。开展孟印缅地区的洪水风险评估可为“孟中印缅经济走廊”的建设安全提供必要的信息和科技支撑。利用1980—2016年的降水数据,结合河网、数字高程和土地利用等数据,选取雨季降雨量、暴雨天数、高程、坡度、河网密度、植被覆盖度、土壤可蚀性、人口密度、地均GDP和土地利用10个指标,采用层次分析法和AHP_熵权法对孟印缅地区的洪水灾害风险分布进行了比较研究。研究表明：孟印缅地区高风险区和较高风险区分别占总面积的1.05%和28.76%,高风险区主要分布在印度北部的恒河平原、印度东北部的阿萨姆邦、孟加拉国大部分地区和缅甸南部。受自然、人口和经济条件的制约,孟加拉国是孟印缅三国中洪水风险最高的国家,高风险区和较高风险区分别占总面积的10.61%和65.87%。层次分析法和AHP_熵权法结果间的比较表明,后者比前者识别出更大范围的洪水高风险区。本研究为中国开展周边国家自然灾害的风险评估提供了有效的方法,有助于推进国家孟中印缅经济走廊的建设。     

Coping mechanisms practised by drought victims (1994/5) in North Bengal, Bangladesh

Droughts are recurrent features in Bangladesh, affecting plant growth and leading to loss of crop production, food shortages and, for many people, starvation. The main objective of this study is to examine the means by which residents of a drought-affected area of Bangladesh cope with this hazard. Data were collected during the summer of 1995 from 301 drought-affected households located in northwestern Bangladesh. Analysis suggests that respondent households practised an array of adjustments to mitigate adverse effects of the 1994/5 drought. While both high- and low-income households were affected by the drought, households belonging to the lower socioeconomic group suffered the most, receiving the least support from the national government. Government responses were delayed and inadequate in providing financial and other assistance to the drought victims. It is suggested that the government should be prepared for drought long before the occurrence of such an event.     

Migration of female construction labourers to Dhaka City,Bangladesh

The author analyzes migration patterns and processes of female construction workers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, and considers the impact of this migration. "Interviews...reveal that the major goal of these female migrants, whose mobility and employment have traditionally been restricted, is to take responsibility in the struggle for livelihood.... Success of many migrations is linked with participation in construction work in the city. Employment in such activities is largely by women from male-headed households, indicating male support in the work, followed by females heading their own households."     

Six decades of agricultural land use change in Bangladesh: Effects on crop diversity,productivity, food availability and the environment, 1948–2006

This paper provides a detailed analysis of agricultural land use change in Bangladesh over a 59‐year period (1948–2006) and examines how these have impacted crop diversity, productivity, food availability and the environment. The key findings of the analysis are: first, land use intensity has increased significantly over this period, mainly from the widespread adoption of a rice‐based Green Revolution technology package beginning in the early 1960s; second, contrary to expectation, crop diversity too has increased; third, although land productivity has increased significantly, declines in the productivity of fertilizers and pesticides raise doubts over sustaining agricultural growth; fourth, food availability has improved, with a reversal in the dietary energy imbalance in recent years despite a high population growth rate; and finally, the production environment has suffered with widespread soil nutrient depletion experienced in many agroecological regions. The policy implication points towards crop diversification as a desired strategy for agricultural growth to improve resource economy, productivity and efficiency in farming in Bangladesh.     

Hazard warnings and responses to evacuation orders: the case of Bangladesh's cyclone Sidr

On 15 November 2007 Cyclone Sidr, a category 4 storm, struck the southwestern coast of Bangladesh. Despite early cyclone warnings and evacuation orders for coastal residents, thousands of individuals stayed in their homes. This study examines dissemination of the warning, assesses the warning responses, and explores the reasons why many residents did not evacuate. Field data collected from 257 Sidr survivors in four severely affected coastal districts revealed that more than three-fourths of all respondents were aware of the cyclone warnings and evacuation orders. Despite the sincere efforts of the Bangladesh government, however, lapses in cyclone warnings and evacuation procedures occurred. Field data also revealed several reasons why evacuation orders were not followed. The reasons fell into three broad groups: those involving shelter characteristics; the attributes of the warning message itself; and the respondents' characteristics. Based on our findings, we recommend improved cyclone warnings and utilization of public shelters for similar events in the future.     

Bangladeshi American Response to the 1998 Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA): An Assessment*

Following the devastating flood in 1998, the U.S. government proposed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to the Bangladesh government. Accepting the 1998 SOFA would have allowed entry of U.S. troops in Bangladesh without passports or visas and without requiring declaration of military hardware. This would have facilitated American forces support for relief operations and rehabilitation of disaster victims in the shortest possible time. Unfortunately, the Bangladesh government rejected the U.S. terms outlined in the 1998 proposal. A sample survey was conducted among Bangladeshi Americans to examine their opinions regarding the 1998 SOFA. Survey data reveals that slightly over 58 percent of the respondents supported signing the SOFA. Reasons for their support or opposition to the U.S. proposal are also presented. Statistical analyses suggest that whether respondents have studied or are currently studying in the United States emerged as the most significant factor associated with approval or disapproval of the 1998 SOFA. Implications of the study findings are also discussed.     

Life in de facto statelessness in enclaves in India and Bangladesh

Drawing on conceptualization of statelessness and ethnographic research on crucial insights of rightessness, this paper investigates how the politico‐geographic‐legality constructs statelessness in the enclaves in India and Bangladesh. Following the decolonization process in 1947, both India and Pakistan/Bangladesh inherited more than 200 enclaves, which comprise 80 per cent of the world's enclaves. With improved bilateral relations, India and Bangladesh officially exchanged the enclaves on 1 August 2015, and the enclave dwellers will gradually be granted citizenship rights over the next few years. In this period of transition from statelessness to statehood, this paper can be read as contemporary history. This paper will draw attention to three aspects of statelessness. First, conceptualization of statelessness not only applies to the refugeehood or de‐territorialization of people but also relates to the process of constructing transterritorial stateless people. Second, this paper will discuss the condition of statelessness constructed in a politico‐geographic‐legal trap. And finally, the paper calls for a wider empirical and critical focus on the hidden geographies of de facto statelessness.     

Distant voices: the views of the field workers of NGOs in Bangladesh on microcredit

Recently, microcredit has become a fashionable cure-all for most non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh. The provision of services to the poor is by definition always difficult, and even NGOs have problems. NGOs in Bangladesh define the poor in different ways when creating their target groups. The policies of nearly all NGOs in Bangladesh are formulated by their senior managers, and field workers are rarely consulted. This paper will explore the opinions on microcredit of selected field workers of four types of NGOs in Bangladesh – on how the problem of microcredit might be solved. Problems of microcredit programmes, they say, include non-accessibility to the poorest, low return, misuse and overemphasis on repayment. Field workers discuss what level of importance should be given to microcredit as against services like education, health or awareness creation. Most conclude that NGOs are overemphasizing microcredit, which leaves little time and few resources for other problems of the poor, so bringing the whole 'development' effort of the NGOs into question. Most field workers think that many microenterprises are not sustainable and that in many cases clients will remain dependent on the NGOs for credit.     

Hazards and 'forced' migration in Bangladesh

This paper deals with two basic assumptions about migration patterns in Bangladesh. First, it is commonly assumed that poverty and landlessness in rural Bangladesh lead to migration to and settlement in disaster-prone areas along the main rivers or in low-lying areas in the Bay of Bengal. Second, it is also commonly assumed that when people living in these areas experience loss of land, property and income opportunities due to natural disasters, they are forced to seek their livelihood and housing in urban areas. These two assumptions are discussed on the basis of data from a char in Jamuna river and a slum settlement in Dhaka.     

Spatial analysis of thunderstorms and lightning casualties in Bangladesh

Considering the adverse outcomes of thunderstorm-mediated lightning in recent years, this study aimed to identify the most thunderstorm-and-casualty prone regions and seasons in Bangladesh, via geospatial mapping. We attempted to forecast the number of yearly thunderstorm (TS) days for each meteorological station and district-level lightning casualties by using TS days as a proxy variable. Data on TS days and lightning casualties were collected from Bangladesh Meteorological Department and Network for Information, Response And Preparedness Activities on Disaster respectively. This study analysed 629 fatalities and 232 injuries. The Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation with Matern covariance function was employed to assess the spatial pattern of TS days. Polynomial regressions were used to forecast the number of TS days and the single clustered Generalized Estimating Equations method was employed to explore the relationship between the number of TS days and lightning casualties. The results indicated that the mean number of TS days per station increased in recent years, particularly in February, March, April, and September. We found the months of April, May, June, and September to be the most threatening months due to TS events and related casualties. The northeast region was identified as the most TS-prone region with the highest number of casualties in Bangladesh. Our analysis suggests that it might remain the most hazardous region in coming years.     

Spatio-temporal dynamics of land cover and land surface temperature in Ganges-Brahmaputra delta: A comparative analysis between India and Bangladesh

Land use and land cover (LULC) change in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta (GBD) poses significant challenges towards future environmental sustainability of the region and requires regional scale monitoring of key bio-physical variables and changes in their inter-relationship over space and time. Focusing on the southern part of the lower GBD region along the international border of India and Bangladesh, this study examined the spatio-temporal variability of LULC change and its relationship with Land Surface Temperature (LST). Furthermore, LULC-LST relationships were compared between Indian and Bangladesh part and its trend in and around big cities (with more than 1 million population) and towns (with more than 100,000 population) was investigated. Results showed that LST changes were predominantly driven by LULC changes on both sides of the border. Urban growth is the dominant form of LULC change, and the rate of land change was faster in 2005–2010 time period than 1989–2005. Over the period of 21 years, mean January LST decreased by approximately 1.83 °C in Indian part and 1.85 °C in the Bangladesh part. Areas that changed from to rural from agricultural experienced decrease in mean LST, whereas those areas that changed to urban from either agriculture or rural, experienced increase in mean LST. The relationship between LULC and LST are same on both sides of the Indo-Bangladesh border. In bigger cities like Kolkata (in India) and Khulna (in Bangladesh), there is a high spatial variability in relationship between LULC and LST compared to large towns. The LULC-LST relationship in large towns in India was influenced by proximity to Kolkata and coastal areas, whereas in Bangladesh no such influence was evident. The results and the data produced in this study are crucial for monitoring LULC changes, for developing spatial decision support system, and thus will be helpful to address the current challenges of land management in the GBD region. Changes in the LULC and LST are important indicators of GBD's environmental health and access its vulnerability and thus the present findings serve as baseline information for future studies seeking to examine the impact of differential policies on the LULC change in the region.     

The CERES‐Rice Model‐Based Estimates of Potential Monsoon Season Rainfed Rice Productivity in Bangladesh*

Agricultural practices in Bangladesh are largely dependent on the monsoonal rainfall. Historically, Bangladesh often experiences severe droughts and floods during the monsoon months, with significant crop losses during both extreme conditions. This article provides a quantitative assessment of potential monsoon‐season aman rice for four transplanting dates: 1 June, 1 July, 15 July, and 15 August. A crop‐growth simulation model, the CERES‐Rice, is applied to sixteen locations representing major rice‐growing regions of Bangladesh to determine baseline yield estimates for four transplanting dates. The applications were conducted for 1975 through 1987. Average potential yield in Bangladesh is 6,907, 5,039, 3,637, and 1,762 kg ha^?1 for the above transplanting dates, respectively. In other words, Bangladesh would obtain 27 percent, 48 percent, and 75 percent less yield for 1 July, 15 July, and 15 August transplanting, respectively, than for 1 June transplanting. Potential yield vulnerability is the least for 1 June transplanting (up to 5 percent) and the highest (up to 66 percent) for 15 July transplanting date. The model applications show that regional variations exist for potential yield and yield vulnerability for a particular transplanting date. In addition, response of yield and vulnerability for a region changes with transplanting dates.     

Factors Affecting Evacuation Behavior: The Case of 2007 Cyclone Sidr,Bangladesh

Cyclone Sidr, a Category 4 storm, struck the southwestern coast of Bangladesh on 15 November 2007. Despite early cyclone warnings and emergency evacuation orders for coastal residents, thousands of individuals stayed in their homes. This study examines Sidr victims’ responses to cyclone warnings and evacuation orders, and explores the factors that would explain why the victims did or did not comply with the orders. Based on survey data collected from 277 Sidr survivors living in the four most severely impacted coastal districts, this study found that more than 75 percent of all respondents were aware of the cyclone warnings and evacuation orders before Sidr's landfall. Despite the efforts of the Bangladesh government, there were lapses in cyclone warnings and evacuation procedures. Field data also reveal several reasons cited by respondents for not complying with evacuation orders. Multivariate analyses of survey data show that trust in warning messages was the most important determinant in the decision to seek refuge in safer shelters, followed by distance to nearest shelter and annual level of education. Several recommendations have been made to improve cyclone warnings and the use of public shelters for similar future events.     

A MODEL-BASED ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON BORO RICE YIELD IN BANGLADESH

Rice is the main food crop in densely populated Bangladesh. Regional climatic variations can play an important role in rice productivity. For example, excessive heat or extremely cool conditions disrupt normal plant physiological processes and cause plant injury which, in turn, results in reduction of yield. In this study, the climatic crop productivity model YIELD has been applied to calculate rice productivity for the boro rice growing season (December/January-May) in Bangladesh under changing climatic conditions. The model estimates climatic influences on various rice plant-growth parameters. YIELD was tuned and validated to Bangladesh's environment to represent appropriate agroecological conditions. The model was run using long-term average climate data of 12 meteorological stations located in the major rice-growing regions in Bangladesh to establish baseline estimates of yield. For the climate change study, 20 scenarios were created by synthetically fluctuating thermal and solar climates in Bangladesh. Study results show that per 1° C increase in growing season mean air temperature, boro rice yield was reduced by 4.6%. It was also found that each 10% increase in incident solar radiation resulted in a 6.5% increase of boro rice yield in Bangladesh.     

Modelling spatial distribution of critically endangered Asian elephant and Hoolock gibbon in Bangladesh forest ecosystems under a changing climate

The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) are two globally endangered wildlife species limited to only tropical Asian forests. In Bangladesh both species are critically endangered and distributed mainly in the northeast and southeast hilly regions bordering neighboring India and Myanmar. Using existing distribution data, land-use/land cover, elevation and bio-climatic variables, we modeled the likely distribution of Asian elephant and Hoolock gibbon in Bangladesh for 2050 and 2070. We used the IPCC's Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) – RCP6.0 and RCP8.5 and Maximum Entropy algorithm for our modelling. Our study indicated that the Asian elephant will be more resilient to climate change compared with the Hoolock gibbon. Habitat loss for the Asian elephant is also expected to remain constant (i.e. 38%) throughout the period, whilst Hoolock gibbon habitat will be more sensitive to climatic variations, with the species predicted to be extirpated from the country by 2070. Being highly exposed to climate change with ever increasing land use pressures, we believe our study in Bangladesh can be used to enhance our understanding of future vulnerabilities of wildlife in a rapidly changing climate. A trans-boundary conservation program with greater attention to the species that are less resilient to climate change is also essential.     

The geography of Bangladeshi migration to Rome

"With reference to the Bangladeshi community in Rome, this paper provides some answers to three key geographical questions: what is the migrants' regional pattern of origin in their home country; what are the mechanisms and routes of their migration to Italy; how are they spatially distributed in Rome?... Chain migration links specific origins in Bangladesh with spatial clusters and economic activities in Rome; the key here is the role of Bangladeshi community leaders in Rome who act both as migration sponsors and entrepreneurs."     

孟加拉国大拉乌布加拉饮用水安全危机的优化方案

孟加拉国沿海地区因其地理位置和自然灾害较多而归属生态环境脆弱地区,大约有3500万人生活在这里,他们的饮用水安全受到威胁。盐水入侵、砷和铁等重金属对水源的污染是造成水资源短缺的主要原因。海平面上升和气候异常事件加剧了沿海地区特别是西南沿海地区饮用水安全危机。本文以孟加拉国Satkhira地区的沿海Tala upazilas为例开展研究,采用基于GIS的多尺度分析方法来确定未来淡水缺乏解决方案和水源的选择,为此进行了问答式现场调查,收集研究区详细资料,以找到合适的水危机解决方案。基于浅层和深层两个不同含水层的资料(它们是饮用水主要来源的含水层水质),对不同水源的潜力和服务区域、社区的社会经济状况、用水类型以及相应的水源和用水需求进行了评价。研究发现,由于这里的地下水受砷、铁、盐碱污染,地表水又因管理不当而不能充分利用,在研究区及其附近很难找到其他的安全水源。在某些情况下,地表水在风暴潮期间由于高盐水的闪蒸和咸水养殖业的渗漏而遭污染。考虑到各种限制条件并结合现场数据、路网、聚落点位置、需水量等地理空间和社会经济信息进行分析,发现了一些符合社区饮用水需求的潜在水源点的分布位置,并提出了一些预防饮用水水危机和地表水可持续利用的技术措施。     

Determinants of crop diversity in the regions of Bangladesh (1990–2008)

The paper measures the level of crop diversity and identifies factors influencing diversification using a panel data of 17 regions of Bangladesh covering a 19 year period (1990–2008). Results revealed the trends that agricultural areas allocated to high‐yielding variety rice, spices and vegetables has increased, while areas cultivating traditional rice, minor cereals, oilseeds, pulses, jute and sugarcane has declined at variable rates across regions with significant differences. The level of crop diversity is also significantly different across regions and has decreased in 2008 from its 1990 level in most regions except Faridpur, Khulna and Sylhet. Among the determinants, an increase in the relative prices of vegetables and urea fertilizer, extension expenditure, labour stock per farm, average farm size, irrigation and a reduction in livestock per farm significantly increase crop diversity. Price policies to improve vegetable prices and investment in irrigation infrastructure and extension services are suggested to promote crop diversity in Bangladesh.