Drought And Livelihoods
Drought and livelihoods: Understanding the impacts on dryland farmers and their adaptation constraints in northern Bangladesh
Abstract
The present article focuses on the understanding of drought impacts on dryland farmers and their adaptation constraints in northern Bangladesh that causes a lot of damage in agro-production and strictly changes the pattern of livelihood, increasing the vulnerability of the farmers almost every year. This study assesses livelihood framework and adaptation strategy by using pentagon livelihood capitals and sustainable livelihood framework, exploring the socio-economic, technological, geographical and natural factors on livelihood adaptation strategies. Following stratified purposive sampling techniques, four focus group discussions were conducted at four villages of Gorinabari union in Panchagarh district from August to October in 2014. Constraints of adapting drought were assessed by using pentagon capitals and limitations of the existing technique of the farmers in the agro-production. The perception and knowledge of the dryland farmers in modern farming is limited and unwillingness of the farmers also causes their backwardness in terms of adaptation capacity. The findings explore that vulnerable people had little ability to adjust with the changing situation that’s why they suffer much in time of drought occurrence causing damage of crops, late crops, high irrigation cost, low fertility, unavailability of agro-information, inadequate credit. Further the findings also suggest that with the policy and its implementation, role of NGOs with GOs, using drought and dry resistant crops, introducing alternative options of livelihood, poultry farming and encouraging livestock rearing and small business vulnerable farmers can adapt the adverse situation. Finally, the study tries to develop a model DAM (drought adaptation model) based on the SLF (Sustainable livelihood framework) and the idea of pentagon capitals that will help to
Abstract
The present article focuses on the understanding of drought impacts on dryland farmers and their adaptation constraints in northern Bangladesh that causes a lot of damage in agro-production and strictly changes the pattern of livelihood, increasing the vulnerability of the farmers almost every year. This study assesses livelihood framework and adaptation strategy by using pentagon livelihood capitals and sustainable livelihood framework, exploring the socio-economic, technological, geographical and natural factors on livelihood adaptation strategies. Following stratified purposive sampling techniques, four focus group discussions were conducted at four villages of Gorinabari union in Panchagarh district from August to October in 2014. Constraints of adapting drought were assessed by using pentagon capitals and limitations of the existing technique of the farmers in the agro-production. The perception and knowledge of the dryland farmers in modern farming is limited and unwillingness of the farmers also causes their backwardness in terms of adaptation capacity. The findings explore that vulnerable people had little ability to adjust with the changing situation that’s why they suffer much in time of drought occurrence causing damage of crops, late crops, high irrigation cost, low fertility, unavailability of agro-information, inadequate credit. Further the findings also suggest that with the policy and its implementation, role of NGOs with GOs, using drought and dry resistant crops, introducing alternative options of livelihood, poultry farming and encouraging livestock rearing and small business vulnerable farmers can adapt the adverse situation. Finally, the study tries to develop a model DAM (drought adaptation model) based on the SLF (Sustainable livelihood framework) and the idea of pentagon capitals that will help to
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