Voluntary immobility despite hazard: a case of Jamuna floodplain in Bangladesh

Khadiza Tul Kobra Nahin; Sumaiya Binte Islam; Sahika Ahmed; M. Shahjahan Mondal; Sonia Binte Murshed; Sara Nowreen

Published in ‘GeoJournal’

Abstract

Frequent floods and river erosions, exacerbated by global climate change, are causing miseries to millions of people worldwide. Thousands of citizens in Bangladesh become homeless every year due to recurrent floods and river erosions. This study reveals an unusual fact that the inhabitants of the Jamuna river floodplain are choosing immobility over migration to safe locations in such situations. The victims of forced migration usually stay within the same zone of calamity. To understand the dynamics, this study focused on determining the factors influencing immobility of the victims in Dewanganj sub-district of Jamalpur district in north-central Bangladesh. Primary data were collected from three distinct locations through oral histories, Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews, and household questionnaire surveys. Migration has a negative correlation (− 0.29) with flood experiences and a positive correlation (0.63) with erosion experiences of the victims. Thus, the flood-victims tend to be immobile more than the erosion-victims. The tipping-depth for flood is the highest among women in the island char, and the tipping-distance for erosion is the lowest in the attached char. The low living cost, working opportunities for women, and non-government/ government supports are the most important facilitators of immobility, and poverty and uncertainty in adapting to a new place are the major obstructive indicators of mobility. Suggestions are provided as to how immobility can be encouraged in hazard-prone vulnerable settings.