Responses to Flood Disaster: Use of Indigenous Knowledge and Adaptation Strategies in Char Village, Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study attempts to analyze flood disaster phenomenon on local char village and the people’s adaptation strategies against the catastrophe flood in the char. This study predominantly is qualitative. At the same time, quantitative data have also been used for doing research meaningfully. After the field survey, the empirical sociological analysis reveals that the socio-economic impact was worsened. This impact showed that almost 100% of crops land washed, 49% of livestock fully damaged, 70% of people lost their income as well as 35.2% of house fully damaged, 95.2% of households loss of food stock and most of the sanitary facilities affected due to the extreme flood in 2017 at kalur para Char village of Fulchari Upazila (Sub-district). Regarding this matter, local people took some of their strategies to alleviate the intensity of the flood disaster, which helped them to survive. These strategies were categorized into three phases, i.e. before, during and after the flood. At the time of field survey, it was found that people were mainly engaged to raise the house from the ground, stockpile dry and constant food, move their livestock to safer palaces, sow rapid growing paddy, take shelter in high places, purify drinking water by boiling before and during the flood. After the flood, some measures taken by people were also identified, i.e. regarding financial solvency people took a loan from various organizations, grow short time crops, explore new work opportunities etc. As a result, the severity of the flood is somewhat reducing, and the affected people are also getting pluck to survive against the flood.