Settlement relocations in the char-lands of Padma River basin in Ganges delta, Bangladesh

doi:10.1007/s11707-010-0122-5

Front Earth Sci Chin

0, Vol.

Issue () : 393-402 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-010-0122-5

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Settlement relocations in the char-lands of Padma River basin in Ganges delta, Bangladesh

Shafi Noor ISLAM¹(

), Shilpa SINGH², Hasibush SHAHEED³, Shouke WEI⁴

1. Department of Ecosystems and Environmental Informatics, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus 03013, Germany; 2. Birbal Shani Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow 226007, India; 3. Government Azizul Huq College Bogra, Bogra 5821, Bangladesh; 4. Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Duebendorf 8600, Switzerland

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Abstract

Bangladesh has a unique hydro-geological setting and deltaic floodplain which is jointly formed by the deposition of the Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna) and Meghna River. The physical characteristics of the geographic location, river morphology and the monsoon climate render Bangladesh highly vulnerable to natural disasters, primarily, floods and cyclones. River flooding has exerted a great impact on the culture and socioeconomic activities. The char people and their settlements in the Padma River channel are under threat due to floods and associated river bank erosion. The excess of water happens during the monsoon season because of widespread flooding that damages char-land settlements, agricultural crops, infrastructure and communication networks. Purba Khas Bandarkhola Mouza of Char-Janajat is largely affected by annual floods, and as a result the char people are displaced frequently from one place to another within and/or outside the char. The dwellers can return to the native char when new land emerges in the river channel after floods. This study has revealed that the displacement of char settlement takes place in almost every 3–5a at Purba Khas Bandarkhola Mouza of Char-Janajat. Our findings shed light on the char flood disaster management and social adaptation plan for settlement development of char livelihood in the Padma River basin in the Ganges delta of Bangladesh.

Keywords floods Padma River char-land erosion settlement relocation development and management

Corresponding Author(s): ISLAM Shafi Noor,Email:shafinoor@yahoo.com

Issue Date: 05 December 2010

Cite this article:

Shafi Noor ISLAM,Shilpa SINGH,Hasibush SHAHEED, et al. Settlement relocations in the char-lands of Padma River basin in Ganges delta, Bangladesh[J]. Front Earth Sci Chin, 0, (): 393-402.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-010-0122-5
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y0/V/I/393

Fig.1 Geographical location of case study area in the Padma River channel

Fig.2 Flood in 1954 (Left) and flood in 2008 (Right)

Fig.3 Historical floods and affected areas in Bangladesh

Fig.4 Impacts of floods on the char-lands in the Padma-Jamuna River Channel

Fig.5 Populations and settlement pattern in Purba Khas Bandarkhola Mouza

Fig.6 Settlement patterns in: 1980 (a); 1990 (b); 1998 (c); 2000 (d); 2003 (e) and 2008 (f)

Fig.7 Model of settlement displacement and char people mobility cycle

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