Coping Strategies of People Displaced by Riverbank Erosion in the Lower Meghna Estuary

Riverbank erosion is common as a disaster event in riverine Bangladesh. It not only affects people living in inland char areas and along the major braided rivers, but also the coastal areas. Charlands are characterized by both erosion and deposition. When the rate of deposition exceeds the rate of erosion, over time, some chars become attached to the mainland, particularly, in the coastal areas. While coping strategies of displaced people in inland areas have been widely studied, relatively little is known about such strategies for people displaced by riverbank erosion in coastal Bangladesh. This chapter addresses this gap via a questionnaire survey conducted among 413 households in 15 villages of Ramgati Upazila in the Lakshmipur District. The Survey was followed by Focus Group Meetings and Key Informant Interviews. All study villages are located along the eastern bank of the lower Meghna River, around the main outlet of the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna drainage basin. The survey revealed that people of the study area mitigated impacts of riverbank erosion by adopting various coping strategies, some similar to those adopted by erosion affected people of inland areas and others different. Finally, a number of recommendations are made to assist those adversely affected by riverbank erosion in the lower Meghna River estuary in coastal Bangladesh.