Sustainable approaches to Drought Management: Exploratory Study on selected regions of Northwest in Bangladesh

Abstract

Drought is an extended deficiency of precipitation, a period of unusually dry weather. It is one of the major and complex hazards which affect peoples‘ livelihoods on a large scale. Drought has been identified with unusually dry weather due to lack of sufficient precipitation, and shortage of water which damages crops. The present study has been carried out with the view to discover sustainable adaptation measures to establish relationships with crop loss and factors that influence loss caused by drought. The study has been conducted in the Northwest region of Bangladesh; officially known as the Barind Tract. Household Interviews, Key Informants‘ Interviews, In-depth Interviews, Case Studies, and Focus Group Discussions have been conducted to collect information for this study. A total of 343 respondents were selected using the proportionate population sampling method and interviewed using a standardized questionnaire and checklist. The study findings revealed that the people in the study locations experienced different types of drought during 1976 to 2014. More frequent droughts occurred in Tanore and Shibganj, followed by Nachole, Porsha, Niamatpur and Godagari. Extreme, severe, moderate and mild droughts have been identified in the study locations. Respondents perceived drought as a natural disaster with extreme temperature and lack of rainfall. They also thought that drought is a natural occurrence and the punishment of God. Results showed that an increased frequency of drought caused huge impacts to crops, livelihoods and society. The respondents opined that the groundwater table is going down every year in respect to the seasons. Farmers are shifting from rice to low water demand crops through crop diversification. Several irrigation efficiency technologies are being practiced by the respondents. It was found that drought frequency, locations, support, occupations and agricultural land all had a significant influence on crop loss. They used animals‘ behaviour and a number of indications from the weather to predict droughts. Pigeons lying on the ground while spreading their feathers, the sound of wild cats, ants‘ upward movement from below ground, termites den and mound in dry soil, a sunny bright red colour during sunset, frequent lighting followed by thunder in the east sky at the early night were all considered as signs of drought. Common mitigation and coping measures for drought include local methods of storing water, changing food habits, field practices and the use of traditional medicine. Wild plants and animals were eaten by the rural people to sustain their livelihoods during drought. Coping and mitigation measures are often more reactive than adaptation measures in response to drought. The sale of livestock, borrowing money from others, short term migration to other places and labour sale are a few commonly used measures to cope with short term shocks. Drought coping strategies varied from place to place and from household to household based on demography and socio-economic characteristics. Adaptation measures employed depended on the capacity of the respondents and people usually considered accessibility of livelihood options, profitability and sustainability of adaptation measures. Five different capitals are given emphasis in the study framework. People apply their best strategy to established sustainable management approaches to drought and make linkages with symbolic interaction and social exchange theory. They used their physical capital, including infrastructure, tools and technology, human capital, economic and financial capital, social capital and natural capital for managing drought risks. Land use planning is an important adaptation measures for drought. Four types of land zoning were found in the study area: Chara, Char Kandur, Kandur and Jaoi. A double cropping pattern is the common feature for chara land; in certain areas a triple cropping pattern was found. Farmers used their networks in managing drought risks and impacts. At first, they called upon close relatives, then friends, and then neighbouring people and elite people from the village or union. Generally they sought support for cash, food and clothes. Eventually they take loans from the samity and clubs to address drought risks. Two categories of livelihood strategies exist at individual level adaptation: a climate sensitive strategy and a non-climate sensitive strategy. The climate sensitive strategies include crop farming, poultry and egg production and livestock rearing. Most respondents were engaged in non-climate sensitive activities likely small trading, van pulling and casual labour. Other activities include collection of wild foods, bamboo slat and basket making, net and pakha making. At household level adaptation, respondents are performing home garden using organic manure to reduce drought impacts. At the farm level, they adopted a wide array of options including the cultivation of drought tolerant crops, crops with a low water requirement, crop diversification, changes to cropping times and patterns, raising mixed fruit orchards, relay cropping, new crops in the cropping pattern, organic practices, planting trees in the marginal lands and in the homesteads and crop land. Eventually they increased the scope for irrigation through excavation or re-excavation of ponds, canals and kharies. The study suggests the necessity of land use policy and drought policy for Barind Tract. There should be clear restrictions for installation of water related infrastructure.