Housing In The Haors: Adapting To Flood Prone Landscapes Of NorthEastern Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Floods are foremost among them. A haor is a wetland ecosystem in the north eastern part of Bangladesh which physically is a bowl or saucer shaped shallow depression, also known as a back swamp. During monsoon haors receive surface runoff water from rivers and canals to become vast stretches of turbulent water and causes flood. This study portrays the living condition of flood prone haor areas in Bangladesh and the vulnerable community in these areas. A haor region has been chosen for this study where flood affect the most. This study has focused on existing homes in the selected study area and the process of building and maintaining a system to face frequent flash flood. This study aims to find ways to make structures more resistant to facing flood and less prone to flash flood effects. The necessary information was gathered by asking various related questions to the people from the survey area. By studying the site map and analyzing the previous flood data, the strength, weakness, opportunities and threads are sort out of the selected haor area to guide a sustainable housing design for the general people of the area as well as all ‘Haor’ area. This paper is an endeavor to depict the picture of housing and social life and livelihoods of Haor community in Nikli of Kishoreganj district of North-Eastern region of Bangladesh. It assessed the socioeconomic condition, livelihood patterns, risk and uncertainty of Haor housing.