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Agricultural Adjustment in Flood-prone Areas in Comilla of Bangladesh: a Geographical Study

Asib Ahmed
Department of Geography and Environment, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

This paper focuses on agricultural adjustment inclination in flood-prone areas in Comilla, Bangladesh. The study’s area is located in a tropical and rivers’ oriented developing country in Southeast Asia. It has a huge potential of agricultural activities, such as fertile soils of deltaic plains, vast rainfall of monsoon climate, and available labors. On the other hand, natural hazards, for examples, floods, cyclones, droughts and arsenic contamination make a common hazardous phenomenon at this distinctive geographical location of the Bengal Basin. The study was done based on a primary survey from June 2008 to May 2009 at household levels. Moreover, an empirical field observation was carried out to decipher the trend of floods, such as river flood, flash flood,and flood due to rainfall in the study area. Also, an interview questionnaire survey was done by the experts and farmers to collect information about indigenous knowledge, traditional beliefs,and perception of agriculture and climatic trend to decrease the damages of crops from floods. In addition, farmers grow vegetables and fruits at medium and high lands (bhiti), Transferee Aman and Aus at medium and lowland, and Aman at very lowlands. Furthermore, farmers devise some strategies, such as cultivating crops for a short length growing period (LGP), and sowing hybrid seed to harvest them within an expected time.Besides these, farmers take some previous initiatives; for instance, make social networks, conduct special training for collection of crops in a short time, and arrange preservation preparation on the availability of supporting resources, types of floods, and characteristics of rainfall. However, farmers of this study area are excluded from modern technologies and information systems. Finally, the application of indigenous techniques, such as observation of flood trends, and variation of monsoon winds of farmers to adjust agricultural activities in flood prone areas, bears an enormous significance for this study.

Keywords: Adjustment process, Crop diversification, Land levels, Perception

Location: Comilla, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-06-2008

End Date: 00-05-2009

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Flood

Objectives:

The aims of the present study are to decipher the farmer’s perceptions and adjustment processes at all stages of floods, for instance, pre-flood period, during flood period, and post flood period. Also, this study aimed at identifying the cropping process of farmers to adjust with floods, and to suggest some initiatives to agricultural adjustment with flood, and make less crops’ damages in the study area.

Methodology:

Study area: Comilla- The study area is Comilla, a flood-prone and the most intensive agricultura larea in Bangladesh. It is one of the potential agricultural areas of the country. Moreover, floods are very common in this area. This area occupies an area of about 3,085.17 sq km and a total population of about 48,381 (BBS,2008). 604 J. Dev. Agric. Econ. Furthermore, more than 85%of the people in this area are farmers and the total cultivable land is 10,750 sq km. Meghna, Gumti and Dakatia are the main rivers of this area and Comilla is at the basin of the Gumti River. Data were primarily collected through a questionnaire survey given to the farmers in the study areas. The data were collected from June 2008 to May 2009. Moreover, some secondary data were used to understand the problems and evaluate the trend of adjustment of agriculture. The study emphasized on analyzing the current level of crops’ adjustments and the perceptions of farmers to decrease damages of crops from floods in the study area. In this connection, 200 agricultural households were chosen randomly in the study area. Besides, some appropriate statistical analyses, such as one-way frequency table, percentages, ratios,and figure of comparison of crops cultivation were prepared to find out the goals of this study. In addition, several cartographic techniques and spatial analysis techniques were used to reveal the spatio-temporal variation of physiographical tables.

Source of Information: Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics Vol. 3(12), pp. 602-609, 26 October, 2011 Available online at ISSN 2006-9774

Article Link (Online Journal): http://www.academicjournals.org/JDAE

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The present study focused on the perception of farmers like cropping pattern, land level and land use, change of cropping pattern, length of the growing period, cultivating flood-prone crops, growing Rabi crops, crop diversification,etc., in flood-prone areas liable to flooding. Comilla is one of the most intensive cropped areas in the country. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. However,flood damages crops every year. Flood is more vulnerable in lowland areas. Farmers cultivate their crops using their perception and indigenous knowledge about the environment, especially the duration and magnitude of flood. Flood affected farmers grow single or double crops in a year and leave the land fallow for 5to 6 months during the rainy season. The flood-free farmers grow triple to four crops in a year,but sudden heavy rain may damage their crops.The study focuses on the perception of farmers inhabiting the flood vulnerable areas concerning both the barsha and bonna. This study also focused on how the farmers at the field-level, adapted to and affected by flood, may suggest new and less costly ways of flood damage reduction.

Knowledge Management: Journal