THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES OF RIVER BANK PEOPLE: A STUDY ON KAWARCHAR AREA, BARISHAL DISTRICT

The challenges of riverbank people in Bangladesh are often considered to socio-economic vulnerabilities. Riverbank people face multiple forms of social and economic losses and are seen to be extremely marginalized after riverbank erosion. The present study depicts the scenario of experiences faced by riverbank people because of nature of their living place with the aim to relate with challenges in adaptation as well as resettlement process. This study has been conducted in the most vulnerable regions of Bangladesh (i.e. Kawarchar, Barishal district) due to riverbank erosion frequently occurs here.Respondents of this study have been selected using simple random sampling and interviewed to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, patterns of economic loss, challenges experienced in their daily life and livelihoods, local peoples attitudes toward them in social settings and related vulnerabilities. Respondents of low income group have less opportunity to meet daily basic needs such as food consumption, pure drinking water, and health care facilities during the time of adaptation & resettlement with the assistance from significant people. It is evident that riverbank erosion mainly grabs the land and no one has denied about the loss. People have been also lost their house, occupation,agriculturalcrops,and cattle, and so on. Another objective of this study is to explain the factors motivate to adapt and resettle due to riverbank erosion. Under this it is found that mostly assistance from relatives has immensely contributed to survive and adapt in resettlement process of the marginalized people after disaster as well as only few assistance and cooperation have come from local people, NGOs, and local Govt. In survey method, face to face interview technique has been applied using a semi-structured questionnaire among 60 samples. On the other hand, case study has been conducted in 10 respondents applying a check list.