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Dislocation and Involuntary Migration: Lessons from the Teesta River Bank Erosion in Bangladesh

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Regional Development Planning and Practice

Part of the book series: Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences ((AGES))

Abstract

Dislocation and involuntary migration is a recurrent issue in the floodplains of the Teesta river. The present research aims to identify the outcome of displacement and forced migration influenced by the active bank erosion of the Teesta river. Displacement and resettlement in the study area embrace temporary shifting, stepwise shifting and permanent shifting of the homestead. Prevalence of dislocation causes a socio-cultural and economic change in the community of the Teesta river bank. Likewise, the health and environmental state of the affected community deteriorates due to sudden changes in living conditions. The psychological consequences of dislocation and migration are also widespread among individuals. The methodology of the study includes household-based questionnaire survey, FGD, and case studies. Loss of income sources, frequent homestead shifting, isolation from society, squatter development, and mental stresses are remarkable in the study area. The study result finds that at present 39.6% house is in the Teesta riverbank, and 82.4% of respondents shifted their homestead permanently after several times displacement. Moreover, 48.6% of respondents have been displaced 7–9 times owing to bank erosion incidents. Land ownership conflict is a growing concern among the bank erosion displaces, and about 84% of respondents handled different types of estate proprietorship clashes. The study also depicts 53.1%seasonal migration and 46.9% temporary migration for livelihoods due to damage of occupation after riverbank erosion. The government should take initiatives regarding the issues of resettlement of the dislocated population. The study suggests preparing a national guideline for the rehabilitation of the river displaces. Besides, the provision of employment opportunities through establishing industries in the Teesta floodplains will be a barrier to the river victims migrating to the cities for occupation after erosion disaster and thus reducing the consequences of dislocation and involuntary migration for bank erosion.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Union is the lowest administrative unit in Bangladesh.

  2. 2.

    Upazilla is the lower administrative unit after district.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

    Mst. Rebeka Sultana

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  1. Mst. Rebeka Sultana
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Correspondence to Mst. Rebeka Sultana .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Dr Meghnad Saha College, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal, India

    Mukunda Mishra

  2. Department of Geography, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    R. B. Singh

  3. Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Andrews José de Lucena

  4. Department of Geography, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Soumendu Chatterjee

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Sultana, M.R. (2022). Dislocation and Involuntary Migration: Lessons from the Teesta River Bank Erosion in Bangladesh. In: Mishra, M., Singh, R.B., Lucena, A.J.d., Chatterjee, S. (eds) Regional Development Planning and Practice. Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5681-1_6

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