“During the monsoon season, much of the farm land in the Gaibandha district is covered by water making it impossible to grow crops. Practical Action has developed a new technology to allow families to grow food when their lands are flooded.

Families collect water hyacinth and use this to build a simple floating raft. This is covered with soil and some cow dung, and is then ready to use - costing only T500 to build. During the last monsoon,  Crops grown are red onions, Kang Kong (leafy vegetable), okra and sweet pumpkin and seedlings for gourds, which are transplanted once the flood had died down.  There is little food in the markets during the monsoon as few people can grow crops, so vegetables grown are in great demand.  By cultivating seedlings in the floating garden, and planting them earlier in the year resulted in a better harvest. After the end of the monsoon season, the old raft is composted to grow crops in the dry season.”

PA 11: Women use water hyacinth to build a simple floating raft, Bangladesh

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PA 12: Woman, ducks and floating garden, Bangladesh 

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PA 13: Using water hyacinth to build initial raft for floating garden, Bangladesh

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PA 14: Bed preparation: man adds soil and dung to water hyacinth base, Bangladesh

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PA 15: Stages of floating gardens: growing crops in foreground; to rear a new one at the soil stage, Bangladesh 

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PA 16: Gathering crops on floating gardens, Bangladesh

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