ROLE OF FLOATING CULTIVATION ON RURAL LIVELIHOOD PRACTICE OF COASTAL BANGLADESH

Abstract

The aim of the study is to find out the role of floating cultivation on livelihood practice of coastal people in Bangladesh. Floating cultivation, locally termed as vashomanchash, is an indigenous cropping technique that the farmers of the coastal belt are widely practicing in submerged land. This study is confined in Barishal district. Two unions namely Illuhar and Bishwarkandi from Banaripara Upazila of the district were selected as the study area. The sample size is 80 and all of them were purposively selected, who are engaged in floating cultivation in the study area. In measuring the role of floating cultivation on livelihood practice, Sustainable Livelihood Framework was used proposed by Ian Scoones (1998). In identifying the motivational factor to be engaged in floating cultivation, weighted mean index has been calculated. The study found that most of the surveyed farmers (60 percent) of the area learnt the floating cultivation technique as an indigenous practice. Half of the surveyed farmers opined that the land in the area remains submerged for 5-7 months a year. About one-third of the sampled farmers produce rice, while another one-third keep the land fallow when the water is drained out. The main reason for being engaged in floating cultivation, as identified by the farmers is that floating cultivation provides income during disaster when all other livelihood options are mostly unavailable. The cost incurred in a season is about BDT 1000 for10floating beds whereas the corresponding income is about BDT 2000 per month from 10 floating beds. This profitability induces the farmers to engage in floating cultivation. The sustainability of a livelihood can be measured by outcome variables like the capability of the livelihood in creation of man days, poverty reduction, adaptive capacity and the preservation of the natural resource base. Considering these outcome variables, it could be concluded that this indigenous practice of floating cultivation is creating man days during disaster and thus assuring certain and uninterrupted income for the rural people which ultimately might have notable impact on poverty reduction, specifically in disaster period. Accordingly, this practice of floating cultivation could be replicated in other waterlogged areas in the country.