Socio-economic Impacts of Water Logging in the South-West Coast of Bangladesh

Abstract

Water logging is ever more obviously a slow-onset, persistent disaster in south-west Bangladesh. Increasing challenges linked to climate variability constitute an immense problem, especially to vulnerable segments of the citizenry such as women and children. In these areas, cyclones, structural water logging, and floods are very common natural threats. The coastal belt Tala Upazila is a most intensively disaster-prone area; thousands of women and children are extremely vulnerable to calamity. This study attempts to understand and assess how vulnerable women and children of the coastal belt face the challenges for their livelihood in a locked life situation. The study also aims to assess both the coping mechanisms developed locally by the victims of natural calamities and the disaster management processes adopted by the Bangladeshi government. Methods of research are mainly based on primary surveys; they include field interviews, content analysis, focus group discussions, and case studies. Both qualitative and quantitative data have been used. Prolonged water logging has caused humanitarian challenges regarding safe water supplies, sanitation, shelter, food security, employment opportunities and so on. The study revealed that 49% of respondents lived in refugee centres with their children at the time of the disaster and that 34% of respondents changed their livelihood due to water logging. Sixty-three per cent of respondents were frequently affected by diarrhoea and the common cold, and 68% did not have access to purified water. Inadequate transportation systems are a major cause of high school dropout rates. The study also expected to find out a real-time solution with empirical views concerning the social, technical, and governance aspects of water logging and other natural disasters. Ultimately, the aim is to enhance resilience capacities among the people involved, particularly the most vulnerable sections. A comprehensive action plan regarding the protection of women and children is suggested involving the cooperation between regional, national, and international institutions.