In Bharar Daha, a village 8 km away from Gaibandha, Practical Action is helping families who have been displaced by flooding and river erosion to rebuild their lives through a community-based fishing scheme. The scheme is benefiting 108 families, all of whom have been forced off their land and are now living on the government flood embankment. Before the scheme, the families relied on the income of men who would work as day labourers or rickshaw pullers. They would struggle to earn enough money during the annual floods when work is harder to find.

Last year Practical Action helped establish a community-based fishing scheme. The community formed a committee to run the scheme, and established a joint bank account. They were granted a lease to use the local government-owned pond for their fishing activities, and this was only granted because of this community-based approach. Practical Action then carried out training in fishing techniques, to help families earn additional income throughout the year, and particularly during the annual floods. The women of the community were trained in ‘fish cage culture’: using cages which are one cubic metre in size to breed Tilapia for eating and selling in the market. The men were trained in ‘community based fisheries management’: how to construct a locally developed fish cage trap , which can be used during the floods to catch wild fish, and how to use a Seine net to catch fish in the pond during the dry season. As well as carrying out training, Practical Action also provided technical and financial support, providing T6000 (£50) of fishlings to the community. One beneficiary, Kohinoor Begum said: “The unity of the community is increasing day by day, as are the relationships between us”.

Shefali Begum and Moina Begum are two other women benefiting from the scheme. They mainly eat the fish that they catch, as it provides a vital source of nutrition. Any fish that they don’t eat, they sell to earn extra income, spending the additional money on clothes, books and pens so their children can go to school, and other family expenditure. Shefali says: “The training from Practical Action was different to other organisations. It was practical, learning by doing – it was handsome!”

Shefali and Moina are feeling less hungry and healthier following their training, and are pleased that they will be able to earn some money during the floods. However, they are afraid that the floods are getting worse:
“We don’t know if the floods will be bad this year or not – if the damn is broken the water will rush through and totally destroy our homes. Day by day the water is increasing, and the duration of the floods is also increasing. Before it would last 8 days, now it is 20 to 30 days.”