Water is key to human survival, development progressions and success. However, the current trends of destruction of global fresh water source is alarming for sustainable development. The water use conflicts among different actors i.e. agriculture, industry and urbanization and pollution of surface/river water due to industrialization and other anthropogenic causes are too high in developing country.
The 238 kilometer long Bangshi River is one of the important tributaries of the Barhamaputra-Jamuna river system in Bangladesh and main common property resource for local people particularly those of Ghughudia. The Banghsi River is being threatened because of EPZ (a special economic zone with huge tax subsidies and many other facilities to attract foreign investors) and pollution of other local industries.
The concern in this study is to understand and explain how industrialization and its pollution to rivers induce social change and affects the environment, ecology and livelihoods around the River Banghsi.
Two broad questions were asked and discussed 1) What are the perceptions of different actors in regards to water pollution; and 2) How can they be mobilized to reclaim therights of the common people. The grounded theory approach and qualitative methods i.e. focus group discussions (FGD), in-depth individual interview and descriptive survey were conducted. In total of 47 people were involved, not counting three FGD. Among those 30 are from the Ghughudia village and rest are out side village. The representative stakeholders groups; fishing, farmer, small business, Goala/milkman and students are from Ghughudia and the owners of industry or their representatives, government officials, political leaders, media and civil society groups are from outside Ghughudia village.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Community description
2. Landscape and Topography
2.1 Landscape
2.2. Topography
3. Culture and population growth
3.1 Occupational groups
4. Context:
4.1. River Bangshi:
2. Theoretical Progression and Review of Literature
2.1 Problem statement
2.2 History and contributing factors
2.3 Theory of Change
2.4 Research questions
2.5. Review of literature
2.5.1 Human behavior environmental degradation and stress on water and other local natural resources
2.5.2. Pollution of water:
2.4.1.2 River culture and livelihoods:
2.5.3 Development Industrialization and river/water pollution:
2.5.5 Water Rights and Mobilization of Community
2.5.6 Community, natural resources and mobilization
3. Methodological approach
3.1 Description and discussion of theories and research instruments
3.2 Descriptions of research tools and techniques’
3.2.1 Village survey:
3.2.2 Focus group discussion (FGD):
3.3 Methodological sequence:
3.4. Methodology matrix:
3.5 Research approach and methodology justification:
4. Results/Findings
4.1 Results of focus group discussions (FGD) with different groups:
4.1.1 Perceptions on environment and river/water resources degradation
4.1.2 Thoughts on socio-cultural and economic
4.2 Results of descriptive survey
4.2.1. River and general environment
4.2.2 Culture and social change
4.2.3. Socioeconomic and employment
4.2.4. Reclaiming peoples’ local resource rights and community mobilization
4.3 Result of individual interview with different groups i.e. industry owners, government officials, civil society and media and leaders of local and national leaders as follows
4.3.1 Industrialist
4.3.2 Government officials
4.3.3 Civil society and media
4.3.4 Leaders of Political parties
4.4. Results in a tabular and other descriptive form
4.4.1 Peoples perceptions to environmental and social change
4.4.1.1. General environment:
4.4.2. Degradation of water and other local resources:
4.4.2.1 Pollution of river/surface water:
4.4.2.2 Importance of river/Bangshi river:
4.4.2.3. Increased water demand and decreased of ground water level:
4.4.2.4 Loss of commons:
4.4.2.6 Impact on individual and community:
4.4.2.7 Health and disease:
4.4.3. Culture and social change
4.4.3.1 Change in occupations and livelihoods
4.4.3.2 Socio-economic, income and employment:
4.4.4. Peoples perceptions to reclaiming rights to water and other local resources and community mobilization:
4.4.4.1 Individual or community participations for mobilizations
5 Discussion and analysis of the findings
5.1. Water resources
5.1.1 Pollution of river/water and local resource degradation
5.1.2. Shifting water use
5.1.3. Effluent treatment plants (ETP) for showcasing;
5.2 Importance of rivers and cause of river die
5.3.1 Livelihoods
5.3.2 Extended women’s works
5.4. Human ecology
5.5 Agriculture and land use change
5.5.1 Commercial grass cultivation
5.5.2 Guava as cash crops
5.6 Land water and food security
5.7 Empowering women; opportunities in a crisis
5.8 Mobilizations of community and reclaim of peoples rights
5. 8.1 Reclaim rights:
5.8.2 Government visibility:
5.8.3 Policy and politics
5.8.4 Stakeholders involvement and participations
5.9 Limitation of the study:
6 Conclusions and recommendations
6.1 Conclusions
6.2 Recommendations
Research Objectives and Themes
This dissertation examines the socio-environmental impacts of industrialization on the Bangshi River in Bangladesh, specifically focusing on how pollution influences local livelihoods, ecology, and social structures in Ghughudia village. It addresses the perceptions of various stakeholders regarding water degradation and explores mechanisms for community mobilization to reclaim their rights to common water resources.
- Impact of industrial effluents on water quality and agriculture.
- Transformation of traditional livelihoods and occupational displacement of fishing communities.
- Gendered implications of water scarcity and environmental change.
- Political and institutional barriers to effective water governance and industrial regulation.
- Strategies for community-based mobilization and multi-stakeholder partnership.
Extract from the Book
River Bangshi:
Like many other rivers, Bangshi is pride to the peoples of Ghughudia and many other villages around the river. It is the source of fish, means of employment for traditional and occupational groups (fishing folks, bede/nomadic snake charmers, boatmen). Industries and its subsequent pollution to water just added further complexities, reduces access to common property/river resources.
The 238 km long Bangshi river originated from Brahmaputra-Jamuan river system and begin from the point of Madu pure at Jamal pur district. The Bangshi crosses Maymenshingh, Tangil and at Kaliakur point of Gazipur district, Bangshi enter in to Dhaka district, flow in between Dhamrai and Savar upzila of Dhaka district, Bangshi enter in to Dhaleshwari river down at Savar upzila.
Rivers and human lives are interrelated and interdependent and industries are to add value on natural resources. Further, river’s philosophy is to accept all but not to keep or holds any with her, in course its just distribute every things on two side of its i.e. waste, pollutant but some time too much it and unable to absorbed. Vise-versa industries does not have ability to hold or absorb any things, other than to produces, however, using technological advantage, industries can refine or clean but in general rule industries does not do that in Bangladesh and consequence is polluting rivers, means preventing surface fresh water supply and no longer have fresh fish to catch, eat, and sell, degradation of lands and other local resources. No longer it’s a question that human life will not survive in a healthy way, without the preservation of our natural resources, such as water.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the river network in Bangladesh and introduces Ghughudia village as a study site with its unique landscape, cultural, and occupational characteristics.
2 Theoretical Progression and Review of Literature: It discusses the conceptual framework of industrial development versus environmental sustainability, reviewing literature on water pollution, livelihoods, and the necessity of community mobilization.
3 Methodological approach: This section details the mixed-method research design, including village surveys, focus group discussions, and individual interviews conducted to gather insights from diverse stakeholder groups.
4 Results/Findings: This chapter presents the empirical data regarding local perceptions of environmental degradation, social changes, and the potential pathways for reclaiming water rights through community action.
5 Discussion and analysis of the findings: This chapter critically analyzes the relationship between industrialization, local ecological degradation, and socio-economic shifts, highlighting the role of governance and stakeholder participation.
6 Conclusions and recommendations: The final chapter summarizes the research findings and provides policy recommendations for sustainable river management, emphasizing the need for integrated planning and community-led initiatives.
Keywords
River Bangshi, Bangladesh, Water Pollution, Industrialization, EPZ, Community Mobilization, Livelihoods, Environmental Degradation, Common Property Resources, Sustainability, Social Change, Governance, Fishermen, Agriculture, Water Rights
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research explores the impact of industrial pollution on the Bangshi River and the resulting social and livelihood transformations in Ghughudia village, Bangladesh.
What are the primary themes discussed in this study?
The study covers industrial environmental impact, occupational displacement of fishing communities, gendered labor dynamics, the effectiveness of existing environmental policies, and community mobilization strategies.
What is the central research question?
The study asks about the perceptions of different groups regarding water pollution and how these diverse groups can be mobilized to establish local rights to water resources.
Which scientific methods were utilized?
The researcher employed a mixed-methods approach using grounded theory, consisting of focus group discussions (FGD), descriptive surveys, and in-depth individual interviews with various stakeholders.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers historical context, theoretical frameworks regarding environmental degradation, detailed methodology, comprehensive presentation of survey findings, and a deep discussion on the policy-related and social aspects of river management.
What keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include industrialization, water rights, community mobilization, livelihoods, river Bangshi, and environmental sustainability.
How has the EPZ influenced the local village economy?
The EPZ created formal sector jobs, particularly for women, but it simultaneously led to the destruction of the river ecosystem, causing severe unemployment among traditional fishing families.
Why are women specifically highlighted in the study?
The study notes that women bear a disproportionate burden due to water scarcity—specifically regarding water collection time—and that while formal employment has provided some empowerment, it has also created new vulnerabilities.
What is the author's primary recommendation for river conservation?
The author recommends a transition toward integrated, user-driven water management, stronger law enforcement against industrial polluters, and policy shifts that prioritize local livelihoods over industrial profit at any cost.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Shahid Mallick (Autor:in), 2012, River, Culture and Livelihoods: Water Pollution and Social Change Around the River Bangshi, Bangladesh, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/208986
