Half of households in haor region suffer food insecurity;
Food security strategy for haor people not satisfactory, says study
Reported by: Rafiqul Islam, UNB Staff Writter
Reported on: July 23, 2010 16:22 PM
Reported in: National
Reported on: July 23, 2010 16:22 PM
Reported in: National
Dhaka, Jul 23 (UNB) - Nearly half of the households in the country’s haor region suffer from food insecurity mainly because of landlessness, mono-crop cultivation, seasonal unemployment and
natural calamities, according to a recent study.
The study revealed that the overall status of food security strategies for haor people in Bangladesh is not satisfactory although there are considerable avenues for providing prospective coping
strategies for these people.
It said the status of food security strategies is unsatisfactory in the sense that the underlying factors for ensuring food security like education, employment opportunities, basic amenities for life
including housing condition, sanitation facilities, production system (fundamentally cultivation), lending and borrowing culture with formal credit facilities, and activities of nature are relatively
miserable in haor areas compared to those in other rural areas of the country.
National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP) with the support of the European Union and USAID conducted the study, titled `Food Security Strategies of the People Living in Haor Areas: Status and Prospects’.
About the major coping strategies of the haor region, it was revealed that the haor people adopt borrowing money and food, reducing familial expenses and going for internal out-migration in the short run.
The study suggests that the avenues for prospective coping strategies are to put a stop to existing leasing system of haor water bodies, making proper arrangements for creating alternative income-generating activities throughout the year (especially in off seasons), regulating the money-lending system to minimize the adverse effects being source of major coping strategy (borrowing) and providing education for all.
It also recommended harnessing the provision of basic amenities for life, introducing modern and scientific production system (especially in agriculture) such as floating vegetable garden for tomatoes, ladies finger, etc, fish culture using fish pen or net, duck raising, food or fruits preservation and storage and taking preventive and curative measures for natural calamities.
The study further recommended conducting more research on haor economy focusing on identifying the problems in different dimensions and discovering prospects in the corresponding fields for pragmatic and urgent policy implications; comparative study with other people
in other haors to share experience and other coping strategies in food security; design advocacy materials on what to do and not what to do during natural calamities and lean season.
The study mentioned that a large amount of fertile and arable land (783,939 hectares) lies in the haor region of the country’s north-eastern districts. There are 411 haors in the six northern
districts -Sunamganj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Kishoreganj and Netrakona.
The lands in the haor areas are generally used for mono-crop cultivation, mainly Boro rice in the winter.
During the wet season, the entire haor region goes underwater and is transformed into floodplains for fresh water fishing. The high seasonality of the haor-based economy forces local people to remain out of work for a considerable period of time, and as a result, they suffer from food insecurity.
The lack of systematic and empirical information is a constraint to developing plan and appropriate program to address the food security problem of the haor people. It is needed to investigate into the physical and social accessibility of the vulnerable people in these regions to food.
It is widely believed that the people living in different haor areas of Bangladesh have been suffering from lack of food security.
There are many reasons attributed to it such as production of single crop throughout the year, seasonal unemployment, flood, other natural disasters, lack of communication and other infrastructure facilities, employment opportunities, lack of due attention on the part of the
government, and other service providers.
Although the reliable percentage of the people of haor areas living below the poverty line is unknown, it is assumed that a considerable percentage of people living in these areas could be defined as ultra poor. Anecdotal evidence reveals that basic avenues for smooth and economically secured livelihood are almost absent for most of the haor people.
Since people do not have ample employment opportunity all over the year, their food security situation is very vulnerable and is a matter of great concern. Majority of the people in haor areas are involved in mono-crop cultivation and fishing, and they remain frequently unemployed for lack of alternative income generating activities.
Sometimes, flood and other natural disasters create a famine-like situation for these people. Apart from that, these areas do not have good communication system and most of the people hardly have concrete connection with the people living outside the haor areas.
Therefore, the food insecurity becomes perpetual for them. It is also essential to investigate the coverage and efficacy of safety nets by different public and private organizations to address the food insecurity, the study suggested.
It mentioned that the haor areas have inadequate educational arrangements for children and even adults for livelihood training. As a result, the literacy rate is very low and employment-oriented
education is almost non-existent. This is another vital cause of unemployment, which is mostly responsible for the situation of food insecurity in the haor areas.
natural calamities, according to a recent study.
The study revealed that the overall status of food security strategies for haor people in Bangladesh is not satisfactory although there are considerable avenues for providing prospective coping
strategies for these people.
It said the status of food security strategies is unsatisfactory in the sense that the underlying factors for ensuring food security like education, employment opportunities, basic amenities for life
including housing condition, sanitation facilities, production system (fundamentally cultivation), lending and borrowing culture with formal credit facilities, and activities of nature are relatively
miserable in haor areas compared to those in other rural areas of the country.
National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP) with the support of the European Union and USAID conducted the study, titled `Food Security Strategies of the People Living in Haor Areas: Status and Prospects’.
About the major coping strategies of the haor region, it was revealed that the haor people adopt borrowing money and food, reducing familial expenses and going for internal out-migration in the short run.
The study suggests that the avenues for prospective coping strategies are to put a stop to existing leasing system of haor water bodies, making proper arrangements for creating alternative income-generating activities throughout the year (especially in off seasons), regulating the money-lending system to minimize the adverse effects being source of major coping strategy (borrowing) and providing education for all.
It also recommended harnessing the provision of basic amenities for life, introducing modern and scientific production system (especially in agriculture) such as floating vegetable garden for tomatoes, ladies finger, etc, fish culture using fish pen or net, duck raising, food or fruits preservation and storage and taking preventive and curative measures for natural calamities.
The study further recommended conducting more research on haor economy focusing on identifying the problems in different dimensions and discovering prospects in the corresponding fields for pragmatic and urgent policy implications; comparative study with other people
in other haors to share experience and other coping strategies in food security; design advocacy materials on what to do and not what to do during natural calamities and lean season.
The study mentioned that a large amount of fertile and arable land (783,939 hectares) lies in the haor region of the country’s north-eastern districts. There are 411 haors in the six northern
districts -Sunamganj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Kishoreganj and Netrakona.
The lands in the haor areas are generally used for mono-crop cultivation, mainly Boro rice in the winter.
During the wet season, the entire haor region goes underwater and is transformed into floodplains for fresh water fishing. The high seasonality of the haor-based economy forces local people to remain out of work for a considerable period of time, and as a result, they suffer from food insecurity.
The lack of systematic and empirical information is a constraint to developing plan and appropriate program to address the food security problem of the haor people. It is needed to investigate into the physical and social accessibility of the vulnerable people in these regions to food.
It is widely believed that the people living in different haor areas of Bangladesh have been suffering from lack of food security.
There are many reasons attributed to it such as production of single crop throughout the year, seasonal unemployment, flood, other natural disasters, lack of communication and other infrastructure facilities, employment opportunities, lack of due attention on the part of the
government, and other service providers.
Although the reliable percentage of the people of haor areas living below the poverty line is unknown, it is assumed that a considerable percentage of people living in these areas could be defined as ultra poor. Anecdotal evidence reveals that basic avenues for smooth and economically secured livelihood are almost absent for most of the haor people.
Since people do not have ample employment opportunity all over the year, their food security situation is very vulnerable and is a matter of great concern. Majority of the people in haor areas are involved in mono-crop cultivation and fishing, and they remain frequently unemployed for lack of alternative income generating activities.
Sometimes, flood and other natural disasters create a famine-like situation for these people. Apart from that, these areas do not have good communication system and most of the people hardly have concrete connection with the people living outside the haor areas.
Therefore, the food insecurity becomes perpetual for them. It is also essential to investigate the coverage and efficacy of safety nets by different public and private organizations to address the food insecurity, the study suggested.
It mentioned that the haor areas have inadequate educational arrangements for children and even adults for livelihood training. As a result, the literacy rate is very low and employment-oriented
education is almost non-existent. This is another vital cause of unemployment, which is mostly responsible for the situation of food insecurity in the haor areas.
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