RESPONSES AND PERCEPTIONS OF PEOPLE WHILE COPING WITH FLOOD AND RIVERBANK EROSION IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

This paper investigates responses and perceptions of people while coping with flood and river erosion (of the banks and charlands) in a large a river of Bangladesh. A literature review provides an understanding of river erosion in the large rivers of Bangladesh, particularly the Padma, Jamuna, and Brahmaputra. Based on the study of secondary sources, an empirical survey is conducted of affected people (from the banks and the charlands) of the Jamuna River in Sirajganj District. The empirical study investigated responses and perceptions of people in the vulnerable areas while coping with flood and riverbank erosion. The responses of people, as found from the study, can be categorized into three major types. These are responses through structural measure; responses in agricultural coping; and responses through human safety measures. It is also found that despite extreme poverty, fragile socio-economic condition and lack of any support from government agencies, majority of these people coped well with these natural disasters. This study identified two major perception types of people while coping with this disaster, a pessimistic one and an optimistic one. Though both of these groups suffered a lot from riverbank erosion and flood, it is found that the crucial way to overcome these natural calamities is to have a positive mental attitude, an adventurous soul, hardworking mentality, and a flexible outlook towards life. Vulnerable people, particularly the weak, poor, and frightened, often lose their hopes, and suffer the most. The Government and non-governmental agencies, in these erosion prone areas, can play a vital role to support and rehabilitate these affected weakened people. They can provide monetary, material, infrastructural and informational support to them till they stand on their own feet to withstand the setbacks.