Assessing Riverbank Erosion and Livelihood Resilience Using Traditional Approaches in Northern Bangladesh

Abdullah Al Mamun, Abu Reza Md. Towfiqul Islam, Edris Alam, Subodh Chandra Pal and G. M. Monirul Alam
Additional contact information
Abdullah Al Mamun: Department of Disaster Management, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5400, Bangladesh
Abu Reza Md. Towfiqul Islam: Department of Disaster Management, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur 5400, Bangladesh
Edris Alam: Faculty of Resilience, Rabdan Academy, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 114646, United Arab Emirates
Subodh Chandra Pal: Department of Geography, The University of Burdwan, Bardhaman 713104, West Bengal, India
G. M. Monirul Alam: Department of Agribusiness, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: Bangladesh is a riverine country that is the most climate-change-vulnerable country in the world. Riverbank erosion adversely affects people and their livelihoods by damaging their homesteads, agricultural land, and causing economic, social, and psychological distress over time. Under these criteria, erosion control measures/approaches are vital for protecting erosion and crating livelihoods resilient. This study intends to assess riverbank erosion and livelihood resilience using traditional erosion control approaches by observing and surveying 118 riverine households in Rowmari, northern Bangladesh. The results show that riverbank erosion enormously damages household lands, socio-economic conditions, livelihoods, and resources, resulting in increased vulnerability. About 54.2% of the households utilize traditional approaches known as bundlings and 33.1% use both bundlings + bank vegetation that helps them resist erosion. Traditional erosion management approaches enhance resilience by safeguarding agricultural land, crop fields, production, and homesteads rapidly and sustainably, and by reducing damage to infrastructure, roads, embankments and transportation in the region. A probit model was also employed to explore factors that have influenced traditional erosion approaches. The factors such as age, education, family size, erosion experience, occupation, earning members, and farm size were meaningfully related to taking traditional erosion approaches. It is expected that the outcomes of the present research will help guide governmental agencies and policymakers and contribute to the construction of a sustainable riverbank erosion action framework in Bangladesh and other regions with similar problems.

Keywords: riverbank erosion; impacts; traditional erosion control approach; livelihoods; resilience; Bangladesh (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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