Survival Strategies of the Environmental Refugees in Pabna District of Bangladesh

Abstract

A study was conducted to depict the picture of river bank erosion caused by the Padma river alongside the Pabna sadar thana of the district since 2000-2009 and its impact on socio-economic condition of the displaced population. Initially the erosion in the study area was started during Pakistan period. The objectives of the study were to assess the impact of river bank erosion on the socio-economic condition and the survival strategies of the displaced population. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire. 150 respondents out of 223 displaced families were selected on a simple random basis. The study was conducted during the period of August 2016 to March 2018. Data were also collected from secondary sources to understand the erosion situation. The study was conducted following social survey method using statistical tools where necessary. This study was done in the village named Raninagar of Dogachi union Pabna sadar thana. The study focuses on the existing socio-economic and environmental conditions of the victims. It also explored the survival strategies of the victims in coping with the precarious condition due to riverbank erosion. The environmental adaptation strategies of the victim families were indigenous in nature. In spite of strong requirements for their survival, the victims did not get adequate assistance either from institutional or non-institutional sources. Due to lack of adequate institutional support the victims could not organize their life in the changing environment. The study describes the physical environmental conditions of the study village with a special attention to natural disasters of the region. It also explored the socio-demographic profile of the victims along with their economic condition before and after riverbank erosion. At the micro level the study found out as to how the environmental and socio-economic variables influenced the victims' adaptation and their survival strategies to the changing situation. A considerable proportion of the victims depended on their fate and prayed to Allah to save themselves from riverbank erosion, a good number of the victims were compelled to leave their original homestead and took shelter by the road side, on the embankment and on neighboring relative’s land. The victims resettled themselves in the new place initially with a poor housing and sanitation systems.