DHAKA, Dec 5, 2019 (BSS) – Like other 23 climate migrant families, Ruma Begum has been living in Charhazarigong union of Charfassion in Bhola since 2010. More or less everyone has the same story behind their migration as river erosion and salinity, severely affected their agriculture in their home of origin, Tazimuddin upazila.
Once Ruma, along with her four-member family, was living in Tazimuddin upazila of Bhola, which is one of the most climate vulnerable districts in the country.
She got married when she was studying in class eight. Her husband Ayub Ali was also migrated from Tazimuddin. Not just them, majority people of Charhazarigong migrated from Tazimuddin.
“Ayub was working as day labourer at first and later took a piece of agriculture land in Charhazarigong on lease, but he could not grow enough crops due to salinity, flooding and cyclones. That is why we had to pass hard days,” said Ruma, a mother of two.
Failing to grow rice well, they were trying to cultivate vegetable instead of rice. But, she said, entering saline water damaged the vegetable until last year. Afterwards, UNDP’s Integrating Community-Based Adaptation into Afforestation and Reforestation Programme (ICBAAR) renovated all the sluice gate which has stopped the entrance of saline water. It helped reestablish livelihoods of locals.
In February this year, taking 3 acres of land on lease for five years, she and her husband joined with 23 other households to cultivate sorjen culture in 13 acres of land which was water logged earlier. The project included both husband and wife in its sorjen culture activities.
Officials said the project provided training on an innovative climate resilient livelihood intervention called Sorjen vegetable and fish culture. Sorjen is a Malaysian word means ‘Row’ and Climate Resilient Fish and vegetables are produced at the same time in this method, the vegetables can survive in a certain height of flood. It is a multiple livelihood options and has the opportunity to produce crops around the year.
Ruma said they have already sold vegetables of Taka three lakh and are expecting to sell over Taka two lakh within one year. “Earlier we cultivated only vegetables and if there is a cyclone and flood it got damaged intensifying our shortage. But now if one thing is damaged, we can be benefitted by alternative fish or vegetable,” she said.
Ruma hopes to buy own land from the earning and continue education of her children as once she could not continue education due to poverty.
“I got training from the project, and have well connected with local fisheries and agriculture offices through the project. So, we will continue this innovative and diversified livelihood suitable in our regions. Other people also attracted seeing our progress,” she added.
Sorjen is a system of excavating trench and dyke in unproductive agricultural land to produce fish and vegetable together. The coastal water- logged and saline prone-lands are particularly useful for the cultivation of sorjen culture. It is a nature based and realistic solution for combating the effects of climate change.
“Vegetable farming in the sack is a new way for us. In this method, salt water cannot enter the sack. The sun does not fade it and also it is less affected by disease. Moreover, where the irrigated land is not harvested, this method can also be harvested. We, women, can take care of it,” said Tahmina Begum (55), another beneficiary of Golachipa in Patuakhali.
Charfassion Upazila Fisheries Officer Maruf Hossain Minar, who provides support to the sorjone culture of Charfassion, said it provides significant nutrition support to the poor climate households, particularly women and children.
“Earlier they (locals) could not grow vegetable and cultivate fish due to saline water and as to poverty they could not afford to buy vegetables, fish and eggs which is now available all the year round in their sorjen culture field. They are getting continuous vegetable from the culture,” he said.
“Moreover, they cultivate fish in the ditch from where they get small fish full of vitamins. They also rear ducks in the ditch from where they get eggs and meat,” he said.
Kabir Hossain, Communication Officer of UNDP ICBAAR Project, said: “The project providing climate resilient diversified livelihood supports to 10,500 coastal poor households to adapt to climate change.
Most of the livelihood intervention of the project like three layer vegetable, floating garden, dyke cropping, homestead garden, including other fisheries and livestock interventions help meet nutritional demand of the coastal poor households, he said.