Third & Final Draft

10 Dec. 2010

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

CONTENTS
Page

Acronyms and Glossary

5 6 6 6 7 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10

CONTEXT
Definition of Livelihood strategy

Rationale of the Title of the Report

Key objectives Methodology for the research

Approach Areas covered by the research Tools Demographic profile of the research subjects Limitations and considerations of the research Report formulation and finalization Research Outputs

FIELD FINDINGS PERCEPTION AND EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE

Location maps Upazilla maps Community brief

11 11 12 13 14 16 16 17 18 18 18 20 20 21 22 22 22 23 23 24 24 24 24

Livelihood Vulnerability indexes (socio- economic- political) Educational background in the communities Health security Food security Mobility and exposure pattern Practices of dowry / early marriage / domestic violence / divorce (by women) Gender discrimination Mediation and Legal aid Perception on risks and risk reduction Status of key dimensions of responsible wellbeing Social safety coverage by group and with amenities local governments role
Production and market

Migration as an alternative livelihood strategy Migration as IGAs for women Capacity building Resource mobilization WATSAN Rights Unavailability of actual statistics on the haor region

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

Page

Lifestyle and alternatives for nine idle months Fishing and Fisheries in the Jalmahal Land ownership and Dwelling
Kanda land Credit from NGO vs. Dadondar

27 27 28 29 29 29

Institutional Support and accessibility

RECOMMENDATIONS ON A LIVELIHOODS STRATEGY FOR THE HAOR REGION

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

31 31 31 31 33 33 33 33 34 34 35 36 36 37 37 37 38 38 38 38 39 40 40 41 43 48 48 49 49 49 50 50 50 50 51 52 52

Key Messages Existing livelihood models Constraints in the existing livelihood models
Project focus Tools and methods Measuring Impacts Micro-meso-macro links Linkages between vulnerability and livelihood protection Missing the Technology

Typical features of this Strategy Progression Path of this Strategy Vision of the strategy Expected Outcomes of the Livelihood Strategy Oxfams Work on Haor people Approaches and focus Women empowerment and livelihood security The key outcome Approach and strategy Right to access and control over Resource and livelihood security Health and Sanitation Influencing Policy issues Guide Grid for Haor Livelihood Strategy
Logical Framework of Strategy Suggestive Activity Index for Community Development

Potential new occupations and changes in the communities Health Security Institutional Support & accessibility Economic Security of women Disaster risk reduction and human aid
Issues involved in livelihood strategy and responsible wellbeing includes

Womens agency development process Support and initiative from state and stakeholders Wellbeing & welfare issues focus on the entitlement & social capital nexus Awareness on rights & entitlements Long term measures

Page Conclusion

52

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

Tables Table 1: Table 2: Table 3: Table 4: Table 5: Table 6: Table 7: Types of Interviewee Basic Statistics on the research areas / Upazillas Status of key dimensions of responsible wellbeing Results of Vulnerabilities in relation to livelihoods Integrating Gender into the Livelihoods Framework Guide Grid for Haor Livelihood Strategy Logical Framework of Strategy
9 13 21 34 39 41 43

Figures Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: Haor resources and basic community stakeholders at a glance Major Livelihood options in Haor Interaction between fishermen and lessee The pauperization process in haors Access to and support from Institutions in Haor region Sustainable Livelihoods Framework Haor region context in livelihood framework
15 26 28 28 30 32 33

Maps Location Maps: Situating Tahirpur, Sulla and Astagram Upazilla in Bangladesh Upazilla Maps: Maps of Tahirpur Sulla and Astagram Upazillas
11 12

Acronyms and Glossary

ANC ASA BARI BBS BRAC BRDB BRRI CBO CNRS DAE DC DFID DLS DoF ENC FAO FGD GO GoB HH HIV/AIDS HYV IGA KI KII LGED LGI LH NFE NGO OHK PDB PNC PNGO POPI PRA REB RWDO SMC SSN TBA UAO UDMC UNO UP VGD VGF Ante Natal Checkup One of the top NGOs of Bangladesh Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Top NGO of Bangladesh Bangladesh Rural Development Board Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Community Based Organisation Centre for Natural Resource Studies Department of Agricultural Extension District Commissioner Department For International Development Department of Livestock Services Department of Fisheries Essential New Born Care Food and Agriculture Organization Focus Group Discussion Government Organisation Government of Bangladesh House Hold Human Immune-deficiency virus/Acute immune Deficiency Syndrome High Yielding Variety Income Generating Activities Key Informant Key Information Interview Local Government Engineering Department Local Government Institution Livelihoods Non Formal Education Non Government Organisation Oxfam Hong Kong Power Development Board Post Natal Checkup Partner NGO A Non Government Organisation Participatory Rural Appraisal Rural Electrification Board Reliant Women Development Organisation School Management Committee Social safety net Trained birth attendances Upazilla Agriculture Officer Upazilla Disaster Management Committee Upazilla Nirbahi Officer Union Parishad Vulnerable Group Development Vulnerable Group Feeding

CONTEXT
A haor (Bengali: ) 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

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 partners 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 peoples livelihoods and wellbeing; To bring about a common vision leading to responsible wellbeing through OHKs livelihoods interventions; To identify the approaches and strategies for OHK and partners to realize the vision.

o o

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 poors resilience, boosting the poors 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?

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

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:
Sl no. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Types of Interviewee
Types of interviewee - KII Details / remarks (Union Parishad Female / Upazilla Chairman / Vice Chair)

Local Govt. Institution LGI Local Admin Local partner Dhaka

(agri / fisheries / livestock / social welfare /)

(NGO CNRS) (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 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. PRAs were done in all three Upazillas. PRA tools included: Wealth ranking Mobility mapping Institutional mapping Social Resource mapping Seasonal calendar 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.

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: of the subject of the research is as follows: 75:25 for PRA - 30 years & above. For case age was 50+ Boatman / day labour (stone collection labour) / farmer / fisherman / petty trader (shop owner) / opinion leader (teacher)

Demographic profile Female/Male ratio: Age group: Occupation:

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:

Tahirpur, Sunamganj

Sulla, Sunamganj

Astagram, Kishoreganj

Source: Wikipedia

11

Upazilla maps:

Source: Banglapedia

12

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
Item Area (sq km) Total Unions Total mouzas Total number of villages Population Population Density (sq km) Male Female No. of household Literacy rate Population by Religion and ethnicity (%) Schools & colleges
(madrasa, non-govt. reg., community primary, satellite primary, lower secondary, secondary)

Basic Statistics on the research areas/Upazillas

Tahirpur 313.7 7 131 234 1,64,655 1666 83,271 51.67% 81,384 48.33% 21987 17.2% (7+ years) Muslim - 78.22 Hindu - 19.86 Christian - 1.03 ethnic nationals (Garo and Hajang) - .89 Sulla 260.74 4 67 113 89,941 7084 45,944 51.08% 43,997 48.92% 13881 21.8 Muslim - 48.03 Hindu - 51.09 Buddhist - 0.26 Christian - 0.08 others - 0.54 Astagram 355.53 7 Unions 59 Mauzas 73 1,32,303 678 68,017 51.41% 64,286 48.59% 21077 38.2% (7+ years) Muslim - 82.84 Hindu - 15.64, ethnic nationals and others -1.52

60

150

68

Health Centres Unemployment Ratio

(% of HH house hold)

9 1.58% 11.23% 81.30% 3.93% 46 landless 12 - marginal 26 small 12- intermediate 4 rich

5 2.15 % 14.98 % 87.70 % 5.13 %

3 1.63% 13.85% 93.28% 12.56%

Improved Sanitation Coverage (% of HH) Improved Drinking Water

(% of HH)

Electricity Connection
(% of HH)

Land control among the peasants (%)

53 - landless 28.46 - small 13.20 - intermediate 5.34 - rich

36 - landless 20 small 30 intermediate 14 - rich

13

Item

Tahirpur Agriculture - 45.19 fishing - 2.42 agri labourer - 26.10 wage labourer - 6.39 commerce - 7.86 service - 2.67 others - 9.37
(in acre) cultivable land

Sulla Agriculture - 59.35 fishing - 3.93 agri labourer - 20.40 commerce - 3.47 wage labourer - 3.10 service - 1.34 others - 8.41 Arable land - 19524.08 barren land - 1727.64, cultivable land under irrigation - 3.46%. pucca road - 1.2 km mud road - 210.26 km

Astagram Agriculture - 48.55 fishing - 3.43 agri labourer - 29.36 non agri labourer-2.47 commerce - 5.53 service - 1.75 others - 8.91 cultivable land - 22899.07 fallow land - 303.52 single crop- 79.24 double crops-19.50 treble crops land-1.26% pucca road - 2 km mud road - 214 km

Main occupations (%)

Land use (in hectares)

- 58,918 (in acre) uncultivable land - 430,03 Metalloid road 8 km pucca road - 0.5 km mud road - 201 km

Communication facilities

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 peoples 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.

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.

14

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

Poor Women Children Small Farmers Fishers

Haor region resources and stakeholders

fish
water

vegetables grasses
ducks

Cattle/duck keepers Craftsmen Boatman

grazing land crops/rice water fruits fuel wood

Landless poor
haor leaseholders GO NGO

Haor

wild birds patipata

Hunters Traders
UP ?

crabs mollusks manure Reeds peat wildlife/swamp forest

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

15

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) b) c) d) e) f) g) scant education material scarcity of teachers lack of quality education and quality teachers lack of development and refurbishment budget bad condition of road and transport network lack of nutrition of boys and girls 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

16

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

2 3

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

17

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 ones 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. Womens 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:

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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 familys asset, decision about childrens 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. Womens 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.

Kanda known and utilized as a common property. Mostly a fallow land utilized for grazing of livestock and small scale vegetable gardening.

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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 6 7

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

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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 a) b) c) d) e) risks arise from natural calamities like: long term flood cold wave thick and deep fog cyclone attack of pests

Table 3:

Status of key dimensions of responsible wellbeing8

Dimensions

Status in Tahirpur

Status in Sulla

Status in Astagram

Self-Sustenance

Self-Esteem

Self-Determination

they work for 3 months and sit around for 9 months indulging in cultural activities, card playing, etc. the idea is not clear to them. they remain submitted from the beginning of any dealing absent/indifferent only the migrants become different and careful to decide reluctance to change the idea of taking responsibility of others in the community is an alien one at this stage.

they work for 3 months and sit around for 9 months indulging in cultural activities, card playing, etc. the idea is not clear to them. they remain submitted from the beginning of any dealing absent/indifferent only the migrants become different and careful to decide reluctance to change the idea of taking responsibility of others in the community is an alien one at this stage.

better off due to mobility (livelihoods, shopping, ) situation is a bit better because of mobility and exposure

Responsibility

absent/indifferent only the migrants become different and careful to decide reluctance to change the idea of taking responsibility of others in the community is an alien one at this stage.

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

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Social safety coverage by group and with amenities local governments 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: long term: VGD, VGF, FFW/ CFW, Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance, Disability Allowance, Freedom Fighter Allowance, Maternity Allnc. 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

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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,

10

Ijaradars lease/investor behind the lessee Jalmahals water bodies/haors

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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: is scare. There was no tube well 20-30 years ago. and NGOs interventions, there are tube wells in that numbers of tube well are not sufficient in the tube wells also become useless during the rainy

Pure drinking water in Haor areas Now a-days due to governments villages. It should be mentioned comparison to the need. However, 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.

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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 womens 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

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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

Small Rickshaw/van Farming pulling Local Ag. Laboring Collect Natural Resources Coal picking

Migrant labor
Sand/stone Collection Small trade Dry fish trade Fish trade Fishing

Livelihood options

Firewood collection

Sand & stone labor

Earth work labor

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

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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 crops 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.

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Fig. 3: Interaction between fishermen and lessee DC Local Elites UNO

Boat Owner

Jalmahal (water body) Lessee

SUFO

Net Owner

Fish Trader

Fish Cooperative Society

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 Flash flood + other disasters

Farmer

Pauper

Day labourer

Vicious cycle of loan

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 Haati11. 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
A cluster of dwellings situated on a mound. It looks like an island in the haor. Effect of FRRAS Schemes In Four Upazilla At Sunamganj, Final Report, August, 2007, Dr. Monirul I Khan Professor Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka.
11 12

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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 its 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.

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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 peoples 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

Electricity REB/PDB

Water Dev. Brd. / Fisheries Off. / Agriculture officer / Hospital / Livestock officer / Law enforcement / Thana / Women & Children BRDB / Affairs off. / CARE BD 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

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.

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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 peoples threats to protection and threats to their livelihood Poor peoples 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.

Women of haor need to be put in the center of all approach and long term funding for their mobilization and protection 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 peoples 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.

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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.

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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 didnt 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

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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 peoples livelihood. Table 4: Results of Vulnerabilities in relation to livelihoods
Outcome Loss of income Loss of employment Extended unemployment Disability Lack of appropriate skills Suicide Inability to invest or maintain investment in education Old age dependency Destitution Inability to use productive assets Lack of technical skills Lack of economic rights Debt Lack of services, drinking water, electricity, transport Increase in domestic violence Alcohol abuse Split households Sexual exploitation Decline in community-based participation Lack of adequate childcare Lack of caregivers for elderly Crime, harassment and homicide Lack of security and physical mobility Lack of access to decision making process flash floods Change in policies violence and coersion

Type of vulnerability Physical Labour

Human capital

Economic infrastructure

Household security

Socio-cultural capital

Socio-political capital Shocks

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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 appropriate 14 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 subnational level, the ecological functions that haor regions wetlands provide are essential for national development, though not at the cost of the poor peoples 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'.

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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.

36

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

Oxfams 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 Kongs identification of approaches to development: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) Capacity building Networking / Partnership Development Research Community Development Disaster Response & Preparedness Public Education 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 Kongs 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%)

37

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) womens 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 womens 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

38

Table 5:

Integrating Gender into the Livelihoods Framework

Gender dimensions in sustainable livelihood

Macro-meso-micro level

National level - Policy goals and strategies

District, Upazilla and Union Level Institutional factors

Household level

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 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 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

39

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.

40

Table 6: Stage 1 Resilience (fighting & building) The first intervention at this stage must be in the transportation network and communication infrastructure

Guide16 Grid for Haor Livelihood Strategy Stage 2 Agency (assertion & initiation) Stage 3 Responsible Wellbeing (giving & planning further)

Responsible agency

Responsible agency

Responsible agency

GoB + Private Sector + NGOs + Env. Civil Society

At this stage individuals must start developing institutions like CBOs, local people owned businesses, etc. Developing overall economic condition of the haor region

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

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 Investment in innovating haor specific crop, wave resistant floating seed bed etc. Reintroduction of haor weed chaila gash in mass scale to

Private sector

Maintenance of water resources and ensuring enriched livelihoods through stopping depletion of aquatic resources: Planning & incoporating Haor ecoenrichment components within livelihood security projects

conditions to be set by the GoB

Local people + CBOs + Local businesses

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.

41

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. Culturally very sensitive issues can be addressed at this stage Local leadership + NGOs

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.

42

Table 7:

Logical Framework of Strategy

Resilience Stage (individual + community): Strategy Approaches to Program 1.1 Mobilization and self-help group formation Outputs 1.1.1 Women and marginalized groups are mobilized to claim and access resources

1.2 Capacity development

1.2.1 Development of community focused capacity building services

1. Empowering women and marginalized groups

1.3 strategic planning and advocacy

1.3.1 1.3.2

Risk Management & Mitigation strategy Participatory decision making

1.4 Income generating activities

1.4.1 Increased income of women and marginalized groups

1.5 Education and Health service

1.5.1 increased rate of education among boys and girls 1.5.2 safe motherhood 1.5.3 decreased health costs

43

Strategy

Approaches to Program 2.1 Community Development

Outcome to be observed 2.1.1 Natural Resource Management 2.1.2 Enterprise Development Basic Education 2.1.3 Basic Health and reproductive rights

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)

2.2

Capacity building

2.2.1 Development Education (employment opportunity, skill development training, etc.) 2.2.2 Gender Mainstreaming

2.3

Public education (advocacy)

2.3.1 Women Equity & Rights 2.3.2 Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation

2.4

Networking / partnership development

2.4.1 Participatory Governance 2.4.2 Civil Society Development

44

Institution Stage: Strategy Approaches to Program Outputs to be observed in Technical Sectors 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

1.1 Capacity building

1.2

Networking / Partnership Development

1. Developing Institutions (targeted at the CBOs / local businesses / locally owned coops/local government, etc.)

1.3

Research

1.4

Disaster Response & Preparedness

1.4.1 Natural Resource Management Development 1.4.2 Enterprise Development 1.4.3 Emergency Response 1.4.4 Risk Management & Mitigation

&

Rural

45

Strategy 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.) 2.1 2.2 2.3

Approaches to Program Capacity building Networking / Partnership Development Research

Outputs to be observed 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 Development 2.4.2 Enterprise Development & Rural

2.4

Policy Influencing

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,

3.1

Research

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.

46

Wellbeing Stage (community focus to effect redistribution of wealth generated from individual development): Strategy 1.1 1.2 Approaches to Program Capacity building Networking / Partnership Development Community Development Outputs to be observed in Technical Sectors 1.1.1 Participatory Governance 1.2.1 Civil Society Development 1.3.1 Natural Resource Management & Rural Development (focus on 1.3 1. Maintenance of water resources and ensuring enriched livelihoods through stopping depletion of aquatic resources: Haor eco-enrichment component within Haor livelihood project
transport system & road network in one word: infrastructure & communication)

1.4

Disaster Response & Preparedness

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 Womens Equity & Rights 1.5.2 HIV/AIDS 2.1.1 Natural Resource Management & Rural Development 2.1.2 Risk Management & Mitigation 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4 2.2.5 Emergency Response Participatory Governance Civil Society Development Gender Mainstreaming Development Education (wetland management & community living)

1.5

Public Education

2.1

Policy Influence

2.2

Capacity building

2.3

Research

2.3.1 Collaboration with World Fish Center, IUCN, CEGIS, CNRS, etc. to research and feed the relevant policy agenda

47

Suggestive

Activity17 Index for Community Development:

Following measures can be possible livelihood interventions that can contribute towards delivering sustained impact in peoples 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.

48

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

19

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. chollisha is a term used by the haor people to mean cultivation period 40 days

49

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:

Womens 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 haors 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

50

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 mechanism should be in place at the Upazilla level. system/support

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. 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:

j)

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 selfbelief 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/PNGOs interventions.

51

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 peoples self esteem and make them responsible for their as well as their communitys development.

52

NOTE:

53

Annex 1 Field Findings

54

Present Livelihood Scenario at Haor

Sulla scenario

Livelihood Matrix
80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% Daily Labor Fisher Man Farmer Share Cropers Small Enterprenour
Fa rm er Fis he rM an Ot he rs op e en o ur

Kishoreganj scenario

0%
La bo r rs

Others

Cr ar e

Sh

Tahirpur scenario

Sm a ll

En te rp r

Da ily

55

Work Mobility Seasonal Migration Calendar

wgK bs

Avc`i weeiY

ekvL

Avlvp

kveY fv` Avwkb KwZK

Kishoreganj scenario AMnvqb cl gvN dvyY P

1. 2. 3. 4.

KwlKvR gvQ aiv w`bgRyi z` eemv Kg ekx Kg

wgK bs 1. 2. 3. 4.

KvRi weeiY KwlKvR gvQ aiv w`bgRyi Kqjv cwienb

ekvL

Avlvp

kveY

fv`

Avwkb

KwZK

Tahirpur scenario AMnvqb cl gvN dvyY P

aygv `t kxcyi

Sulla scenario
wgK bs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

KvRi
weeiY KwlKvR gvQ aiv w`bgRyi Kqjv cwienb gvwUKvUv evk I eZi KvR z` eemv nuvmi Lvgvi

ekvL

Avlvp

kveY

fv`

Avwkb

KwZK

AMnvqb

cl

gvN dvyY P

nweecyi BDwbqb evnvov BDwbqb evnvov BDwbqb

nweecyi BDwbqb

56

Crop and Food grain

Kishoreganj scenario
wgK bs 1. 2. Mvj Avjy, wgw Kzgov, gwiP, ev`vg, cqvR, imyb gyjv, mwilv, dzjKwc, evavKwc, UgUv, eb dmji weeiY eviv avb ekvL R Avlvp kveY fv` Avwkb KwZK AMnvqb cl gvN dvyY P

3.

Tahirpur scenario
wgK bs dmji weeiY eviv avb ekvL R Avlvp kveY fv` Avwkb KwZK AMnvqb cl gvN dvyY P

1.

2.wZj, awbqv, Avjy, Mg, fyv, wcqvR, imyb, gwiP, mewR 3. Kv`vq mewR Pvl

`t kxcyi

Sulla scenario
wgK bs 1. dmji weeiY eviv avb ekvL R Avlvp kveY fv` Avwkb KwZK AMnvqb cl gvN dvyY P

2.

iwe km

3.

Kv`vq mewR Pvl

evnvov BDwbqb

57

Disaster Calendar

Kishoreganj scenario
wgK bs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Avc`i weeiY AvMvg ebv/ cvnvox Xj ebv kZ cevn/ Nb Kzqvkv Liv Avdvj/ XD (evox fvv) Kvj ekvLx/ UbWv AwZ ew/ wkjv ew ekvL R Avlvp kveY fv` Avwkb KwZK AMnvqb cl gvN dvyY P

6. 7.

Tahirpur scenario
wgK bs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Avc`i weeiY AvMvg ebv/ cvnvox Xj ebv kZ cevn/ Nb Kzqvkv Liv Kvj ekvLx/ UbWv AwZ ew/ wkjv ew ekvL R Avlvp kveY fv` Avwkb KwZK AMnvqb cl gvN dvyY P

58

Sulla scenario
wgK bs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Avc`i weeiY AvMvg ebv/ cvnvox Xj ebv kZ cevn/ Nb Kzqvkv Liv NywYSo AwZ ew/ wkjv ew XD / Avdvj KvKovi Avgb B`yii Avgb cvKvi Avgb eRcvZ evnvov BDwbqb nweecyi BDwbqb nweecyi BDwbqb nweecyi BDwbqb ekvL R Avlvp kveY fv` Avwkb KwZK AMnvqb cl gvN dvyY P

59

Resource & Social Mapping

cqvRb Abymvi m`i gvbymvi Di kxcyi BDwbqb - Tahirpur wgK bs m`i weeiY 1. nvIo Gi grm cK vbxq `vwi`i AwaKvi wbwZ Kiv mnR kZ BRviv c_vi eev 2. Kwl Drcv`b chv exR/ mvi/ KxUbvkK/ mP myweav wbwZ Kiv I mnR kZ FY myweav c`vb 3. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi eev Kiv 4. wUDe Iqj I mvwbUvix jwUb mnR kZ weZiY I fZzKx c`vb hvZ vcbi wbivc` vb Zix Kiv hvq 5. cv_wgK we`vjqi wkv c`vbi cqvRbxq (wkK mn) DcKib c`vb, ewi UvKv mKji Rb, wUwdbi eev Kiv 6. hvMvhvM eevi Dbqbt ivvNvU msvi I wbgvY, b`x mshvM, Lvj Lbb cyeK cqvRbxq eev Mnb 7. Lvm Rwg, Rj gnj `wi``I AwaKvi wbwZ KiY (Nym, `ybxwZ e Kiv) 8. AvMvg ebvi nvZ _K dmj ivi Rb eva wbgvY, msvi I DPzKib 9. cvwb mnvqK e Pviv ivcb I meyR ebx Zix Kiv 10. `vwi` kYxZ msMVb wbgvY I cqvRbxq ccvlKZv `vb 11. wfwU ivi Rb XD cU Iqvj wbgvYt Rwic cyeK cvwbi cek c_ I gmygx evZvm Abyhvqx 12. BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbqb KwgwUZ `wi` kbxi Ask Mnb I gZ cKvki AwaKvi (wekl vwqZ w`q wbwZ Kiv 13. eKvi kwgK`i Rb weK Kgmsvb mwt z` eemv, n wk, mjvB KvR, mewR Pvli eev Kiv 14. vbxq msMVb, vbxq ckvmb I mev c`vb Kvix msvjvi mgw^Z D`vM vbxq m`i mevP eev wbwZ Kib iv 01 02 03 04 8+

05 08 05+ 06 09 11 07

08 06

60

cqvRb Abymvi m`i gvbymvi `wY kxcyi BDwbqb - Tahirpur

wgK bs m`i weeiY 1. nvIo Gi grm cK vbxq `vwi`i AwaKvi wbwZ Kiv mnR kZ BRviv c_vi eev 2. Kwl Drcv`b chv exR/ mvi/ KxUbvkK/ mP myweav wbwZ Kiv I mnR kZ FY myweav c`vb 3. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi eev Kiv 4. cv_wgK we`vjqi wkv c`vbi cqvRbxq (wkK mn) DcKib c`vb, ewi UvKv mKji Rb, wUwdbi eev Kiv 5. hvMvhvM eevi Dbqbt ivvNvU msvi I wbgvY, b`x mshvM, Lvj Lbb cyeK cqvRbxq eev Mnb 6. IqvUmb Kvhg (^v mZ) 100% evevqb KiZ ne 7. Dbqb eevcbv welqK KwgwU jvK Xj mvRvZ ne 8. we, Avi, wW, we I GbwRI`i FY Kvhg ^Q KiZ ne Ges FYi cvkvcvwk mswk- welq `Zv Dbqb welqK cwkY w`Z ne| 9. we`yr eevi cmvi NUvZ ne Ges mPi , cvjwU dvgi Rb Qv/Qvx`i covi Rb we`yr Acwinvh 10. wfwU ivi Rb XD cU Iqvj wbgvYt Rwic cyeK cvwbi cek c_ I gmygx evZvm Abyhvqx 11. ebvi ci wZM evoxNi wbgvY wm, Gd, Wvwe- D Gi eev wbwZ Kib 12. BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbqb KwgwUZ `wi` kbxi Ask Mnb I gZ cKvki AwaKvi (wekl vwqZ w`q wbwZ Kiv) 13. emZ wfwU Gi cwicyY eenvi wbwZ Kib 14. Lvm Rwg, Rj gnj `wi``I AwaKvi wbwZ KiY 15. ebvqb I eivcb I meyR ebx wbgvb

iv 01 02 05 04

11 03 12 11

12 07 06 08

10 13 09

61

Kvj BDwbqb - Kishoreganj wgK bs m`i weeiY 1. nvIo Gi grm cK vbxq `vwi`i AwaKvi wbwZ Kiv mnR kZ BRviv c_vi eev 2. Kwl Drcv`b chv exR/ mvi/ KxUbvkK/ mP myweav wbwZ Kiv I mnR kZ FY myweav c`vb 3. cvbx m` wefvMi mnhvMxZv wbwZ Kivt cwkY, fwb, wPwKrmv wbwZ Kiv 4. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi eev Kiv 5. wUDe Iqj I mvwbUvix jwUb mnR kZ weZiY I fZzKx c`vb hvZ vcbi wbivc` vb Zix Kiv hvq 6. cv_wgK we`vjqi wkv c`vbi cqvRbxq (wkK mn) DcKib c`vb, ewi UvKv mKji Rb, wUwdbi eev Kiv 7. BDwbqb wfwK nvBzj wbgvY I wkvi myhvM 8. hvMvhvM eevi Dbqbt ivvNvU msvi I wbgvY, b`x mshvM, Lvj Lbb cyeK cqvRbxq eev Mnb 9. Lvm Rwg, Rj gnj `wi``I AwaKvi wbwZ KiY (Nym, `ybxwZ e Kiv) 10. b`x Lbb cyeK grm Pvl I mviv eQi bPjvPj wbwZ Kiv 11. AvMvg ebvi nvZ _K dmj ivi Rb eva wbgvY, msvi I DPzKib 12. cvwb mnvqK e Pviv ivcb I meyR ebx Zix Kiv 13. `vwi` kYxZ msMVb wbgvY I cqvRbxq ccvlKZv `vb 14. wfwU ivi Rb XD cU Iqvj wbgvYt Rwic cyeK cvwbi cek c_ I gmygx evZvm Abyhvqx 15. ebvi ci wZM evoxNi wbgvY wm, Gd, Wvwe- D Gi eev wbwZ Kib 16. BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbqb KwgwUZ `wi` kbxi Ask Mnb I gZ cKvki AwaKvi (wekl vwqZ w`q wbwZ Kiv 17. eKvi kwgK`i Rb weK Kgmsvb mwt z` eemv, n wk, mjvB KvR, mewR Pvli eev Kiv 18. dmj msibi Rb MvjvNi wbgvY, dmj cmmi Rb KwgDwbwU eRW wd Zix iv 03++ 02++ 04+ 01+ 01 02+

08 05 08 06 03 09 10 11 07 04

03 02

62

AMvg BDwbqb - Kishoreganj wgK bs m`i weeiY 1. Kwl Drcv`b chv exR/ mvi/ KxUbvkK/ mP myweav wbwZ Kiv I mnR kZ FY myweav c`vb 2. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi eev Kiv 3. cv_wgK we`vjqi wkv c`vbi cqvRbxq (wkK mn) DcKib c`vb, ewi UvKv mKji Rb, wUwdbi eev Kiv 4. hvMvhvM eevi Dbqbt ivvNvU msvi I wbgvY, b`x mshvM, Lvj Lbb cyeK cqvRbxq eev Mnb 5. IqvUmb Kvhg (^v mZ) 100% evevqb KiZ ne 6. Dbqb eevcbv welqK KwgwU jvK Xj mvRvZ ne 7. we, Avi, wW, we I GbwRI`i FY Kvhg ^Q KiZ ne Ges FYi cvkvcvwk mswk- welq `Zv Dbqb welqK cwkY w`Z ne| 8. we`yr eevi cmvi NUvZ ne Ges mPi , cvjwU dvgi Rb Qv/Qvx`i covi Rb we`yr Acwinvh 9. wfwU ivi Rb XD cU Iqvj wbgvYt Rwic cyeK cvwbi cek c_ I gmygx evZvm Abyhvqx 10. ebvi ci wZM evoxNi wbgvY wm, Gd, Wvwe- D Gi eev wbwZ Kib 11. BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbqb KwgwUZ `wi` kbxi Ask Mnb I gZ cKvki AwaKvi (wekl vwqZ w`q wbwZ Kiv) 12. eKvi kwgK`i Rb weK Kgmsvb mwt z` eemv, n wk, mjvB KvR, mewR Pvli eev Kiv iv 08 08 01

05 03 10 11

12 03 06 07

02

63

nweecyi BDwbqb - Sulla wgK bs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. m`i weeiY ^v K` mPj I mev c`vb cYx m` wefvM I mev Kwl wefvMi mev wbwZ Kib mvbxUkb eevcbvi Dbqb hvMvhvM eev, ivv-NvU Zix/ msvi eva wbgvb BD, wW, Gg, wm ^Pj Kvh KiY Lvm Rwg `vwi`i ga eUb, eevcbvq Zv`i gZv`vb ebvqb I ePviv ivcb msMVb wbgvY I cyuwR MVb wUDe Iqj vcb cv_wgK we`vjq eevcbvi Dbqb nvBzj wbgvY RjveZv `yixKib nvIo Gi grm cK mvavib gvbyli AvBbMZfve AwaKvi wbwZ Kib mswk- BDwbqb GjvKv cwil`I Awdm vcb I Kvhg wbwZ Kiv iv 01 04 02 05 07 03 09 08 10 11 06 04+ 05 04 03+ 05+

64

evnvov BDwbqb - Sulla wgK bs m`i weeiY 1. nvmcvZvj Pvjy Kiv I wPwKrmvi eev Kiv 2. mvbxUkb eevcbvi Dbqb 3. GjvKvi wkv eevcbvi Awbqg `~iKiv, mKji Rb ewi eev Kiv, cqvRbxq DcKib I GmGgwm Gi KvhKvixZv wbwZ Kiv 4. dmj cmwms, msiYi MvjvNi, AvaywbK chyw wbwZ Kivi cvkvcvwk mvi, exR, KxUbvkK cvIqv wbwZ Kiv 5. cvYx m` wefvMi chv jvK eji gvag G m`i msiY, Dbqb I cmw evovbv `iKvi 6. nvIo Gi grm cK mvavib gvbyli AvBbMZfve AwaKvi wbwZ Kib 7. mswk- BDwbqb GjvKv cwil`i Awdm vcb I Kvhg wbwZ Kiv| BD, wW, Gg, wm Ges Gm, Gg, wm Gi Dbqb KwgwUZ `wi` kbxi Ask Mnb I gZ cKvki AwaKvi 8. dmj iveva, AvkqK` wbgvY, Lvj I b`x Lbb 9. Qq gvm eKvi kwgK`i Kgmsvb Kivt wRI/GbwRI Gi gvag mnR kZ `xN gqv`x wKwZ FYi eev Kiv| 10. fwbUi, avx cwkY I DcKib weZib 11. ebvi ci wmGd Wwe- D/U wiwjd Gi gvag `wi` gvbyli wfwU, mewR evMvb, c msib Ni msvi Kiv 12. bvix`i eq wkv, cvwievwiK AvBb, `Zv Dbqb welqK Kvhg Mnb I cwkY c`vb| 13. BDwbqb wfwK (fMwjK Aevf`) nvBzj wbgvY 14. eivcb/mvgvwRK ebvqb wbgvY/weK Drcv`b welqK cwkb I DcKib weZib BZvw` wbwZ Kib iv 01 05 03

04 05 06 07

08 09 10 11 12 13 14

65

Annex 2 Checklists used in the research

66

Issue checklist for KII LGI

Office/Designation: Subject Profile: age gender
Community brief:

name: occupation ethnicity area / locality HH head -

Date:

educational background in the community enrollment/drop out issues (sex segregated

and ethnicity / religion based)

Interventions by GoB / other stakeholders:

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

coverage by group and with amenities local governments 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) Jalmahal (water body) and Kanda land Food security Climate change and environment Disaster risk reduction and human aid Poverty (socio- economic- political) Culture & Belief 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

Issues in the communities & DOs for LGI:

Implementation bottlenecks:

Key to the future: (sex /ethnicity /religion /disability /age /occupational community) womens agency development process (incidents, support, etc.)

inclusion & exclusion issues wellbeing & welfare issues focus entitlement & social capital nexus awareness on rights & entitlements

67

Issue checklist for KII LA

Office/Designation: Subject profile: name: Date:

68

age gender
Community brief:

occupation ethnicity

area / locality HH head -

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 administrations 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), GRFood (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) womens 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:
Subject profile: age gender Community brief: occupation ethnicity area / locality HH head -

name:

Date:

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 partners 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), GRFood (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 inclusion & exclusion issues wellbeing & welfare issues focus entitlement & social capital nexus awareness on rights & entitlements

Key to the future: (sex /ethnicity /religion /disability /age /occupational community) womens agency development process (incidents, support, etc.)

Issue checklist for Consultation meeting (without LPs)

Subject profile: Venue & Date Dept. / Group
Community brief:

participants gender rep. ratio ethnic rep

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 partners 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), GRFood (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 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 inclusion & exclusion issues wellbeing & welfare issues focus entitlement & social capital nexus awareness on rights & entitlements

Implementation bottlenecks

Key to the future: (sex /ethnicity /religion /disability /age /occupational community) womens agency development process (incidents, support, etc.)

(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--vis increasing lease value Fisher- farmer conflict on bill water Flowing rivers under lease Destructive fishing practices d. IGA e. CCA &

Small business Handicraft Farm & off farm enterprise Cultivation of Kanda land by women 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 gender
Community brief: occupation & Designation:

GoB Dept. / Org.

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 partners 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), GRFood (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) womens 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 gender 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:

occupation ethnicity

area / locality HH head -

coverage by group and with amenities local partners 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), GRFood (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) womens 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 seasons 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--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