Water Logging in Keshabpur: A Focus to the Coping Strategies of the People by Neelopal Adri Royal Holloway, University of London

Source: Keshabpur Thana Information Booklet, 2008 Study Area: Keshabpur Thana in Jessore District Study area Target Unions: Sagardari Trimohini Bidyanandakathi Sufolakathi Total Population: 200,229 Most of the area is waterlogged for the last 10 years.

Research Objectives Goals To reduce water logging in Keshabpur Thana by taking effective policy decision. Objectives To investigate the coping practice of vulnerable group in the study area. To find out the effectiveness of ongoing GO, NGO programs in response to water logging problem.

Methodology Participatory Vulnerability Assessment (PVA) & Questionnaire Survey (sample size 270; 5% of total 5500 poor households) Coping Common Local Practice of Coping Recent Institutional Initiative of Coping GeneralGender specificGO NGOCBO

Major Problem faced by people due to water logging; FGD, 2008 Prioritization of problems in Keshabpur; FGD’08 1.Inundation agricultural land 2.Health 3.Reduced food security 4.Reduced social security of women 5.Sanitation 6.Drinking water

Major Findings: Common Local Practice of Coping: (1)Structural Modification (2)Agricultural Coping Late varieties of Aman are sown Seed beds are prepared by raising the ground 34% respondents changed occupation due to water logging People increase plinth height of house and latrines (3) Livelihood Coping Taking loans generally with high interest rate Sell valuable household assets Migration (17% families found)

Coping with water borne diseases Use of water purification tablet Fetch water from long distance Boil water Rainwater harvesting Consult local health care centers Using cheap ointments is common in case of skin disease Gender specific coping Major Findings:

Increase ground level of toilet Defecate in the field/ dry land at night Defecate on the roof defecate on a paper inside the house and then throw that to the open water Women suffering from menstruation use unhygienic pieces of cloths inside homes and wash them in dirty water Gender Specific Coping: Sanitation Women cope by changing defecation places; questionnaire survey, 08 Major Findings:

Recent Institutional Initiative of Coping Government Programs (1) Reducing Livelihood Risk Project (2) Management of refugee camps Only 15% respondents got the benefit of the RLRP. This project is limited to only two unions. Major Findings:

Ring Based Vegetable Gardening big cement rings are filled up with suitable soils. These rings with soils are then used to plant trees and vegetables. This technology reduces the risk of water logging as vegetation is accepted to grow at a higher level than the ground. NGO Programs Cooking is done on a higher platform (1) Ring based vegetable gardening (2) sustainable cooking technology Recent Institutional Initiative of Coping Major Findings:

Community based coping effort: Embankment construction people constructed an embankment covering Trimohini and sagardari unions with polythene, plastic and bamboo and restricted water from overflowing the crop field. people contributed money for buying polythene, bamboos etc. and those, who couldn’t, just became involved in the physical labor. Major Findings:

P Refugee Shelter Govt’s safety net program Relief giving Agency Local Health Centers Micro Credit Organizations Union Parishad NGO Health Project DPHE School Figure 5.1: People’s Access to Institution (Venn diagram drawn during FGD) Findings on effectiveness of GO, NGO projects in context of WL Only 29% respondents have institutional membership of local NGOs. Source: Questionnaire survey, 2008

Projects for improving water logging scenario: a) TRM b) Kabodak re excavation c) Government’s canal excavation d) Community based embankment construction Projects for coping with waterlogged situation a) Reducing Livelihood Risk Project (RLRP) b) Ring based gardening c) Producing bamboo crafts d) Community based open water fish cultivation e) Water and Sanitation GO f) Water and sanitation NGO Findings on effectiveness of GO, NGO projects in context of WL TRM

Constraints towards reducing vulnerability:  Climate Change ( and its effects people’s livelihood and health)  Poor coordination between stakeholders.  Little scope to participate in the development project  Limited institutional initiative of coping.  Lack of prioritization of problem area  lack of gender sensitive initiative Effective programs:  Kabodak re excavation  Canal excavation  Community based embankment construction  Reducing livelihood risk project  Ring based vegetable gardening. Major Findings:

Policy recommendation: (1)Facilitating Drainage (2) Strengthening Research and Activities on Agriculture and health (3) Coordinated approach of all stakeholders (4) Strengthen institutional coping (5) Emphasizing problem areas in government projects (6) Creating enabling environment for women

Thank You All……