Khulna District Research Articles

Factors Affecting Female Participation in Post-Secondary Education: A Cross-Sectional Study from Khulna District of Bangladesh

Factors Affecting Female Participation in Post-Secondary Education: A Cross-Sectional Study from Khulna District of Bangladesh

Vulnerability Assessment of Cyclonic Hazards in Coastal Region of Bangladesh

The aim of this study is to identify the hazards that are associated with cyclone and to prepare hazard maps with various intensity (low, medium and high) through questionnaire survey and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method in Paikgacha Upazilla of Khulna District is a major cyclone prone area of Bangladesh. The collected data reveals that salinity, water logging, embankment erosion, tidal surge and storm surge are the major cyclonic hazards and have adverse effects on agriculture, structure, occupational pattern, consumption pattern and service facilities of that area. As a result, vulnerability assessment has done to identify the most vulnerable sector by the impacts of multi-hazard using Weighted Index method. The analysis of the data shows that structural sector (24%) is more vulnerable compared to other sectors. Because, the housing condition is not much better condition in terms of construction material and technology. During cyclone period heavy wind speed and storm sure damage and destroy the housing roof and wall. On the other side, occupational pattern (23%) reflects as second rank vulnerable sector in the study area. This research helps to mitigate risks by hazard mapping and plays an important role in recovery strategies against multi-hazards risks of cyclone.

Bio-economic evaluation of cropping systems for saline coastal Bangladesh: III Benefits of adaptation in current and future environments

Climate change and salinisation present substantial challenges to the sustainability of cropping systems in south-west coastal Bangladesh. This is the third paper in a series reporting a study to assess the impacts of climate change and salinity on the productivity and economic viability of ten current and potential rice-based cropping systems in two coastal villages in Khulna District. In this paper, possible adaptations are assessed, including novel dry-season crops, changed fertilizer use, and changed sowing dates, across five climate and three salinity scenarios. Farmers' estimated, APSIM-simulated, and extrapolated yield distributions were incorporated in budgets for the ten cropping systems, using current and projected salinity levels. Current and projected future prices and costs were used to estimate different measures of profitability. Estimated variability in yields and prices was used to generate probability distributions for these profitability measures, permitting comparison of cropping systems based on profitability and risk. Adaptation through changed fertilizer use (higher or lower, depending on the crop) was projected to give higher returns for some cropping systems. However, larger improvements were obtainable with changes in sowing dates to avoid the worst stresses imposed by climate change and salinity. The loss of production of all crops except watermelon and pumpkin due to salinity was more than offset with changed sowing dates for 2030 and 2060 conditions, irrespective of season. With such adaptations, and allowing for risk, the rice/shrimp system maintained the top ranking in terms of net income per hectare in 2030 and 2060 and the rice/sunflower system maintained the second ranking. The rice/pumpkin/rice system ranked third for 2030 and fourth in 2060 while the rice/maize system moved up to third in 2060.

Institutional and population based analyses on misdiagnosis of appendicitis in Khulna, Bangladesh

The aim of the present study was to identify factors associated with misdiagnosis of appendicitis to propose solutions to decrease the misdiagnosis rate of appendicitis. The study conducted an institutional and a population based analyses on misdiagnosis of appendicitis conducted in Khulna district, Bangladesh. The study dealt with 2 groups of patients. Group 1 consisted of the patients treated in Gazi Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Khulna either in out-patient department (OPD) within the last 3 years (from 2014 to 2016), treating doctors suggested appendicectomy and in indoor-patient department (IPD) within the last 5 years (from 2012 to 2016), the diagnosis was done either during operation or admitted as postoperative complications. Patients for Group 2 were selected purposively from the patients who were from different villages of Rupsha and Fakirhat Upazila or from Khulna city previously underwent appendicectomy within the last 5 years (from 2012 to 2016) in different hospitals other than GMCH, Khulna and previous symptoms were still existed. The study revealed that the majority of the patients were female (OPD 81.5%, IPD 68.8% in Group 1 and 83.2% in Group 2). The misdiagnosis rate of appendicitis for the patients attended GMCH OPD and GMCH IPD was 23.0% and 8.9%, respectfully. The overall misdiagnosis rate of appendicitis for the patients attended GMCH was 14.0%. In case of the patients attended GMCH OPD, most of them had UTI and chronic cystitis (45.5%). In case of the patients attended GMCH IPD, most of them had non-inflamed appendix (84.4%). The misdiagnosis rate of appendicitis for the patients in Group 2 was 23.2%. Some factors were identified and bearing in mind the factors, all the concerned should be more careful and conscious while making the diagnosis of appendicitis to avoid misdiagnosis and patients’ suffering.Mediscope Vol. 4, No. 2: Jul 2017, Page 29-34

Impact of financial inclusion on technical efficiency of paddy farmers in Bangladesh

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of financial inclusion on the enhancement of paddy farmers’ technical efficiency (TE). The impact was evaluated rigorously from different dimensions which could be useful in the policy discussion for enhancing efficiency in utilizing productive resources.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional data of randomly selected 120 paddy farmers from Khulna district in the Southwest region of Bangladesh were collected for this study. Initially, a stochastic production frontier approach was used for estimating farmers’ TE. Thereafter, ordinary least squares and quantile regression models were applied for unveiling the existing relationship between TE and various dimensions of financial inclusion after controlling all other socio-economic characteristics.FindingsThe study findings revealed that farmers were around 86 percent technically efficient and amongst them, credit takers were more efficient than non-credit takers. A non-monotonic relationship between TE and amount of credit was observed where TE was maximized at amount around 20,000 Bangladeshi Taka (USD255), a medium credit in terms of its amount. In addition, credit literacy was identified as a significant factor for improving TE. Though difference in the choice of sources for accessing credit had little impact on mean TE, its effect was found significantly higher for low scored technically efficient farmers compared to high scored farmers.Practical implicationsThe policy toward widening the coverage of financial inclusion would be more effective than providing larger amount of credit to a limited number of farmers for improving their TE.Originality/valueSuch an in-depth assessment of the impact of financial inclusion on TE is probably the first effort in the Khulna district of Bangladesh.

Farmers' perceptions of and responses to environmental change in southwest coastal Bangladesh

AbstractCoastal Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climate change and salinisation; hence, farm‐level adaptation is critically important. Farmers' perceptions of and responses to environmental change were investigated in two villages in Khulna District. Perceived environmental trends included increases in temperature, extreme weather events, soil toxicity, erratic rainfall and scarcity of water for irrigation. Perceptions of climate trends were consistent with measured trends in Khulna. On‐farm adaptation strategies included adjusting planting dates, excavating trenches in rice‐fields, adopting new crops, salinity‐reducing technologies, livestock‐rearing and home‐yard cropping. Non‐farm adaptation strategies included wage employment, short‐term migration and self‐employment. Adaptation was facilitated by income‐earning opportunities, training, and credit, and impeded by lack of access to water, markets, capital, and extension services. Farmers suggested policy support for dissemination of stress‐tolerant cultivars, access to irrigation, and price stabilisation or crop insurance to assist adaptation. While the study shows an impressive degree of awareness and adaptation, external support is needed to increase adaptive capacity.

Exclusion and Counter‐exclusion: The Struggle over Shrimp Farming in a Coastal Village in Bangladesh

ABSTRACTThis article explores the processes whereby control over land and water is exercised in the context of commercial shrimp cultivation in coastal Bangladesh. The authors draw on the insight that the exercise of control over resources implies both inclusion for some and exclusion for others, and that shifting the boundary between the two involves the deployment of four interacting ‘powers of exclusion’ — regulation, the market, force and legitimation — the effectiveness of which depends on specific historical conjunctures. The article uses a case study of a village in Khulna District to explore: (a) the processes by which poor farmers were excluded from their land by large shrimp farmers; (b) the ways in which villagers experienced the changes in land use and social relations associated with the shrimp boom; and (c) the conjunction of internal and external factors that enabled smallholders to collectively mobilize to reverse their exclusion from the land. Understanding these messy and contingent processes of exclusion and counter‐exclusion helps to inform strategies aimed at securing the property rights and livelihoods of the rural poor.

Bio-economic evaluation of cropping systems for saline coastal Bangladesh: II. Economic viability in historical and future environments

The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of climate change and salinity on the economic viability of rice-based cropping systems under farmers' current management across current and future climate and salinity scenarios in south-west coastal Bangladesh. Detailed case studies were conducted in two contrasting coastal villages in Dacope Sub-district, Khulna District. Enterprise budgets were developed using APSIM-simulated and extrapolated yields together with crop management, cost, and price data obtained from the villages and estimated from various sources. The projected impact of climate change and salinization on the economic viability (profitability and riskiness) of most cropping systems was not pronounced. Thus rice-based cropping systems are likely to remain viable in both optimistic and pessimistic climate scenarios in coming decades, even allowing for salinization, because some of the positive effects of climate change were projected to offset the sizeable losses due to salinity. Moreover, where small yield declines were projected these were often offset by higher future prices. Sustainably-managed rice/shrimp cropping systems are likely to remain the most profitable option in locations with access to tidal saline water. In other sites, given adequate freshwater for irrigation in the dry season, rice/non-rice cropping systems were projected to be the most viable options, especially incorporating newer crops such as sunflower and maize. Dry-season rice and wheat were not projected to be viable options.

ROLE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS TO DETERMINE TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF SHRIMP FARMERS OF BANGLADESH

This paper is an attempt to measure the technical efficiency of shrimp farmers in Bangladesh using a translog production frontier and inefficiency effect model. A sample of 185 farmers has been considered from the Paikgacha Upazila of Khulna district. The result shows high levels of technical inefficiency exists in shrimp cultivation. The mean efficiency is 71% which suggests that farmers could increase production by increasing technical inefficiency by 29%. The efficiency differences are significantly explained by farm size, education, share of non-farm income, training, distance from pond to water source , water quality etc.

Impact of Climate Change on Land and Water Management: The Case of Nepal, India and Bangladesh

Agriculture is the backbone of economic development of country like Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Quantity and quality of production depends on quality of soils, irrigation facilities, quality of seeds, farming methods and time, climate, quality and types of fertilizer and the technologies used. In the recent times, the climate change has been reported to impact highly in the performance of the agriculture sector of these countries. Because of the rise of temperature, there is much concern on food securities and other agricultural issues like the changes in cropping pattern due to changing rainfall pattern thus impacting directly and indirectly to their gross domestic product. The objective of this study was to assess the situations against the climate change perspectives including the soil and water issues and its impacts on agriculture and food security of these communities. It also aimed to examine the local adaptation cases with respect to developing criteria for potential adaptation possibilities at the local community level and to make a comparative study in three locations of South Asia namely Madhuri village, Rupandehi district (foot hills) of Nepal, Vaishali village, Patna State (plains) of India and Harikahali village, Khulna district (sea coast) of Bangladesh. The finding of this study helps to provide policy support in mainstreaming adaptation at the community level in the context of natural resource management for the vulnerable communities of the three locations of SA region, and helps governments, development partners and donors in their planning and implementation of climate change related activities from a long term regional perspectives.

Hydrogeochemical investigation of groundwater in shallow coastal aquifer of Khulna District, Bangladesh

Groundwater acts as a lifeline in the coastal regions to meet out the domestic, drinking, irrigational and industrial needs. To investigate the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater and its suitability, twenty samples were collected from the shallow tubewells of study area having screen depth 21–54 m. The water quality assessment has been carried out by evaluating the physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, EC, TDS and major ions i.e., Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, SO42−, NO3−, HCO3−. Results found that, the water is slightly alkaline and brackish in nature. The trends of cations and anions are Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ and Cl− > HCO3− > SO42− > NO3−, respectively and Na–Cl–HCO3 is the dominant groundwater type. The analyzed samples were also characterized with different indices, diagram and permissible limit i.e., electric conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride content (Cl), soluble sodium percentage (SSP), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), magnesium adsorption ratio (MAR), Kelley’s ratio (KR), Wilcox diagram and USSL diagram, and results showed that groundwater are not suitable for drinking and irrigational use. The factors responsible for the geochemical characterization were also attempted by using standard plot and it was found that mixing of seawater with entrapped water plays a significant role in the study area.

SALINITY CHANGES IN SOUTH WEST BANGLADESH AND ITS IMPACT ON RURAL LIVELIHOODS

Salinity intrusion greatly affects the livelihood decisions which farmers have to make. Both environmental and anthropogenic factors affect salt water intrusion within south west Bangladesh. Although climate change and sea level rise are thought to increase salinity, siltation and sedimentation of canals reduces access to surface water and prevents salt water intrusion in to farming zones. This study highlights how decreasing salinity within Khulna and Bagerhat districts is allowing farmers to diversify their agricultural practices, reducing vulnerability and improving household income and food security. By using both quantitative and qualitative data collection, semi structured interviews were held with farmers and landless people to understand how they adapt to salinity changes. The results show that whilst salinity decreases were identical across both districts, farmers adapt to the changes in a number of ways based primarily on their access to water. Whilst shrimp production struggles to improve, increases in freshwater production of prawns, fin fish and dyke crops partially confirm that salinity was decreasing within the area. Furthermore, increases in income generation were also observed confirming that diversification improved rural livelihoods. In the wider context, understanding farmer mitigation strategies towards the environment allows for future comparisons to be made on climate change and sea level rise which are widely considered to drive salt water intrusion further in land.

PREVALENCE OF REPEAT BREEDING AND ITS EFFECTIVE TREATMENT IN COWS AT SELECTED AREAS OF BANGLADESH

The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of repeat breeding and its associated risk factors in cows at selected areas of Bangladesh followed by determination of an effective treatment regime for those cows. Data were collected by interviewing the owner of the cows from 172 farms having 1524 breedable cows located at one Upazila of Mymensingh, Chittagong, Khulna, Satkhira, Bogra and Dhaka districts. A total of 122 repeat breeding cows were treated and randomly distributed into 5 experimental groups for different treatment regimes. The treatment regimes were (i) single AI with injection of 500 µg of gonadorelin, (ii) intra uterine infusion of 4.0 million i.u. penicillin daily for 3 days followed by single AI at next estrus, (iii) same time AI with double doses of semen, (iv) two times AI at 8 hours interval and (v) single AI without any intervention (used as control group). Information was collected for all treated cows for returning to estrus at 20-22 days post-AI. If the cow did not return to estrus at 20-22 days post-AI, the cows were examined for pregnancy by per rectal palpation of genital tract at 60-90 days post-AI. The pregnancy of the treated cows was used as the indicator of success of each treatment regime. The overall prevalence of repeat breeding in cows was 11.5%. The breed of cows, herd BCS and farm size influenced the prevalence of repeat breeding in cows. The age, parity, BCS and milk yield influenced the occurrence of repeat breeding in individual cows. The significantly higher proportion of cows recovered when AI was done using double doses of semen (52.8%) or single AI was done with GnRH administration (51.9%) than no intervention control (30.4%). In conclusion, repeat breeding cows may be inseminated with double doses of semen or with single AI with GnRH administration for improvement of conception.

Exploring Management Strategies for Freshwater Wetland: Policy Options for Southwest Coastal Region in Bangladesh

Freshwater wetland plays a vital role in the national economy as well as the sustainable environment, natural habitats and the ecosystems in Bangladesh. Population explosion is still creating pressure on the limited resources like land, forest, water and specially the freshwater wetland. Over exploitation of resources, variety of economic, flood protection or control embankments, polders, dams, regulators, irrigation channels, dredging, settlements establishments like roads, bridges are the major threat to the freshwater wetland land in the southwest coastal Bangladesh. Thus, the sustainable management practices of existing wetlands need to be taken into considerations to conserve these resources. The wetland management strategies need to be directed at enriching wetland habitats with the component biological resources and also addressing the needs of the resident human population. Beel Dakatia of Dumuria Upazilla in Khulna District with 60 sq. mile is almost in the out of actions from agricultural productions, especially rice production due to water logging. However, the mercy of logged water has facilitated for fisheries, not properly or regularly managed. This study is conducted to seek the suitable or possible, acceptable by the different social groups, management policy options or guidelines that may foster sustainable management practices.

Effects of Natural Disaster on Food Availability, Accessibility and Consumption in Household Level of Coastal Villages

Bangladesh certainly affected by natural disaster and coastal district of Bangladesh frequently exaggerated by this event. Natural disaster undoubtedly impact upon the individual’s livelihood in coastal areas and extent of result sustain for a prolonged term. Beyond some factors have been identified which badly accountable for produces impact on coastal areas, where solely food security affect severely. Predominantly it has been identified food security becomes more vulnerable after the natural disaster and people of coast zone suffered much in this condition. In this study survey method was implemented and data were collected through interview schedule by using simple random sampling. Data were collected from household heads from Kamarkhola and Sutakhali villages of Dacope Upazila of Khulna district. Descriptive statistics was used to estimate percent analysis and inferential statistics was employed for Chi-square tests as quantitative data analysis; whereas, the secondary source was applied in the qualitative analysis. This research intent to evaluate the extent of change in food availability, food accessibility and consumption in the household level. This study correspondingly tries to identify the responsible causes of change of food availability, food accessibility and consumption in the household level. The further study analyzed the month wise food adequacy in household level in a post-disaster situation. Finally, in propositions testing, there were founded the significant relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Climate change effects and adaptation measures for crop production in South-West coast of Bangladesh

A survey was conducted to determine the effect of climate change on crop production and water quality in 12 villages of Deluty and Garaikhali unions under Paikgacha upazila of Khulna district, Bangladesh. Total of 100 farmers were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. The climatic hazards as reported on the study area are salinity, cyclone, drought, hailstorm, river erosion and waterlogging, of them salinity is the most dominant hazard. Due to salinity the cropping system has undergone changes. Many crops and varieties have been either extinct or their cultivation has come down. Both soil and water are severely affected by salinity. Most of the farmers (90%) use pond water for irrigation and the majority farmers use pond and rain waters for drinking purpose. Results of the present study serves as a good basis for in-depth study to achieve successful crop production in the south west coastal area of Bangladesh.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.3(3): 369-378, December 2016

Ideals and institutions: Systemic reasons for the failure of a social forestry program in south-west Bangladesh

We explore the contradictions between the ideals and principles of Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) and the local-level institutional processes encountered in their implementation. In particular, we examine the design, implementation, and outcomes of the Social Forestry Program (SFP) in the south-west coastal region of Bangladesh through case studies of two villages in Khulna District. The SFP was a component of the donor-funded Sundarban Biodiversity Conservation Project (SBCP), intended to improve the livelihoods of poor households and protect the landscape through strip plantations on both sides of the large embankments that surround the farming land in the coastal region. Our findings show the gap between the national and international context in which the SFP was formulated and the realities of the local context in which formal and informal institutions worked to frustrate the achievement of CBNRM ideals. Hence the SFP failed to significantly increase forest cover or improve the livelihoods of the target populations. We document the specific ways in which the SFP deviated from the assumptions of CBNRM. However, we conclude that the problem is systemic, related to the top-down imposition of a supposedly bottom-up process, and not simply a matter of improving project implementation. Thus improving rural livelihoods and natural resource management in complex marginal environments such as south-west coastal Bangladesh will require far more transformative institutional change than can be achieved by donor-initiated project interventions, no matter how worthy the ideals.

Impacts of Some Climatic Variables on Productivity of Boro rice in South-Western Coastal Regions of Bangladesh

Climate change is the top most important issue in the modern world. Various aspects of Bangladesh are verily affected by climate change. An agro-climatic study was conducted in Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat district in Khulna division as well as the Southwestern coastal part of Bangladesh with last 30 (1981-2011) years of some climatic data of average temperature, maximum temperature, seasonal total rainfall, average humidity and sea level pressure to address the climatic variability and its impacts on Boro rice production in Southwestern coastal part of Bangladesh. The average temperature increased by 0.51°C in Boro season in this area. The sea level pressure was about stable here. The Boro rice production increased by 0.04 and 0.3 tha-1 in Khulna and Bagerhat district. However most of the time the production showed increasing trends except in 2007 and 2009 affected by two devastating natural calamities as “SIDR” and “AILA” occurred in these two year respectively.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(1): 95-98 2016

Growth and Economic Performances of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) Culture in South-West Coastal Region of Bangladesh

The growth performance of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (Deman,1879) under different stocking densities was conducted under three treatments each with three replications namely T1: 10m-2 T2: 12m-2; T3: 14m-2 for a period of six months from April to September, 2012 in 9 experimental ponds in Terokhada Upazilla under Khulna district. Supplementary feeds (mustard oil cake (20%), wheat bran (20%), rice bran (20%), fish meal (25%) and maize bran(15%) were used for all stocked individual. Water quality parameters and growth performances were monitored monthly. The mean values of water temperature, transparency, dissolve O2, pH and salinity were varied from 28.88 ± 0.161±oC(T2) to 31.32 ± 0.97±oC (T1), 29.73 ± 0.34cm(T1) to 32.70 ± 0.28cm(T2), 5.33 ± 0.184mg-1(T3) to 6.17 ± 0.13 mg-1 (T1), 6.52 ± 0.205(T2)to 6.79 ± 0.18(T1) and 13.75 ± 0.16(T2) to 15.22 ± 0.20(T1). The weight gain of Macrobrachium rosenbergii were 59.79± 0.15 g(T1), 50.86±0.14g(T2),48.78±0.12g(T3).The survival rate (%) of M. rosenbergii were 75.02±0.577 (T1), 66.66±0.88 (T2), 61.01±0.577(T3) respectively. Yields (Kg ha-1 6 month-1) Macrobrachium rosenbergii were 2302.04kg (T1), 1768.52 kg (T2), 1393.808 kg (T3) respectively. Total cost 656000 ± 17480 Tk ha-1 (T1), 596120 ± 4520 Tk ha-1 (T2) and 549100 ± 9440 Tk ha-1 (T3) respectively and total return of different treatments T1, T2 and T3 were 1492400 ± 12800 Tk ha-1, 1078200 ± 11930 Tk ha-1 and 806480 ± 9190 Tk ha-1 respectively. Net benefit were 801900 ± 7340 Tk ha-1, 49400± 5930 Tk/ha and 288600 ± 13240 Tk ha-1 in T1, T2, T3 treatments respectively. From these findings, it could be concluded that highest yield was achieved from T1 and lowest in T3 which was significantly (P<0.05) different among the treatments where stocking density were less than other treatments.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(1): 53-57 2016

Cyclone Aila, livelihood stress, and migration: empirical evidence from coastal Bangladesh.

This paper investigates why households migrated as a unit to Khulna City from the affected Upazilas of Dacope and Koyra in Khulna District, Bangladesh, following Cyclone Aila on 25 May 2009. The study reveals that households migrated primarily because of the livelihood stress that resulted from the failure to derive a secure income like before the event from the impacted areas-other push and pull factors also played a part in their migration decision. Despite all of the Aila-induced losses and problems, all households wanted to avoid migration, but they were unable to do so for this principal reason. The findings also demonstrate that, if livelihoods cannot be restored, some form of widespread migration is inevitable after a disaster such as this one. In addition, they show that migration has the potential to serve as a key adaptive response to environmental events, as evidenced by the improved economic conditions of a substantial number of the migrated households.