When Water Does not Flow: Elite Capture of Freshwater Canals in Bangladesh
The coastal region of Bangladesh, known as the deltaic food basket, supports around 80 million people whose livelihoods rely heavily on freshwater sources like canals. Climate change and human interventions in this area significantly impact water-related challenges. Freshwater canals, drainage perip...
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| Format: | Poster |
| Language: | Inglés |
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2024
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158158 |
| _version_ | 1855516789388083200 |
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| author | Sarker, Mou Rani Joshi, Deepa Mannan, Fouzia Rahman, M Mokhlesur |
| author_browse | Joshi, Deepa Mannan, Fouzia Rahman, M Mokhlesur Sarker, Mou Rani |
| author_facet | Sarker, Mou Rani Joshi, Deepa Mannan, Fouzia Rahman, M Mokhlesur |
| author_sort | Sarker, Mou Rani |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | The coastal region of Bangladesh, known as the deltaic food basket, supports around 80 million people whose livelihoods rely heavily on freshwater sources like canals. Climate change and human interventions in this area significantly impact water-related challenges. Freshwater canals, drainage peripheries of large rivers, are the lifeline to water access and availability, supporting crop cultivation, livestock farming, and fish production and processing in southwestern Bangladesh. These canals are mostly under the control of local and external elites who hold long-term leases to exclusive rights and use, even though legislation in principle disallows the leasing of flowing streams of water. Following this, the study objectives are to analyze (a) power and politics to control freshwater canal, (b) gender relation and its dynamics in access, use, and control of fresh water. The study was carried out in two villages, Kultali and Dhankhali, located in the coastal area of Munshigonj union within the Shyamnagar upazila of the Satkhira district in southwestern Bangladesh, employing mixed methods. The results show legislation is subverted and flowing canals are leased out, mostly to non-locals. The leaseholders utilize social and political connection to monopolized canal systems, thereby exacerbating water scarcity. Small-scale and marginal farmers, fishers, and women are the primary victims of this canal appropriation. According to AgWISE Module about 44.44% of men and 32.46% of women experienced productive water insecurity, i.e. water issues related to adequacy, reliability, accessibility, and safety. The outcomes of canal water capture have worsened food security, dietary diversity, and economic inequalities. |
| format | Poster |
| id | CGSpace158158 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1581582024-11-07T09:35:55Z When Water Does not Flow: Elite Capture of Freshwater Canals in Bangladesh Sarker, Mou Rani Joshi, Deepa Mannan, Fouzia Rahman, M Mokhlesur climate change food systems The coastal region of Bangladesh, known as the deltaic food basket, supports around 80 million people whose livelihoods rely heavily on freshwater sources like canals. Climate change and human interventions in this area significantly impact water-related challenges. Freshwater canals, drainage peripheries of large rivers, are the lifeline to water access and availability, supporting crop cultivation, livestock farming, and fish production and processing in southwestern Bangladesh. These canals are mostly under the control of local and external elites who hold long-term leases to exclusive rights and use, even though legislation in principle disallows the leasing of flowing streams of water. Following this, the study objectives are to analyze (a) power and politics to control freshwater canal, (b) gender relation and its dynamics in access, use, and control of fresh water. The study was carried out in two villages, Kultali and Dhankhali, located in the coastal area of Munshigonj union within the Shyamnagar upazila of the Satkhira district in southwestern Bangladesh, employing mixed methods. The results show legislation is subverted and flowing canals are leased out, mostly to non-locals. The leaseholders utilize social and political connection to monopolized canal systems, thereby exacerbating water scarcity. Small-scale and marginal farmers, fishers, and women are the primary victims of this canal appropriation. According to AgWISE Module about 44.44% of men and 32.46% of women experienced productive water insecurity, i.e. water issues related to adequacy, reliability, accessibility, and safety. The outcomes of canal water capture have worsened food security, dietary diversity, and economic inequalities. 2024-10-16 2024-10-24T20:40:53Z 2024-10-24T20:40:53Z Poster https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158158 en Open Access application/pdf Sarker, M. R., Joshi, D., Mannan, F., Rahman, M.M. (2024). When Water Does not Flow: Elite Capture of Freshwater Canals in Bangladesh. Presented in the the Wageningen Centre of Sustainability Governance Conference 2024, Wageningen, Netherlands, October 2024. International Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh office. |
| spellingShingle | climate change food systems Sarker, Mou Rani Joshi, Deepa Mannan, Fouzia Rahman, M Mokhlesur When Water Does not Flow: Elite Capture of Freshwater Canals in Bangladesh |
| title | When Water Does not Flow: Elite Capture of Freshwater Canals in Bangladesh |
| title_full | When Water Does not Flow: Elite Capture of Freshwater Canals in Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | When Water Does not Flow: Elite Capture of Freshwater Canals in Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | When Water Does not Flow: Elite Capture of Freshwater Canals in Bangladesh |
| title_short | When Water Does not Flow: Elite Capture of Freshwater Canals in Bangladesh |
| title_sort | when water does not flow elite capture of freshwater canals in bangladesh |
| topic | climate change food systems |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158158 |
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