Hope rises: Bangladeshi farmers overcome floods
Purnima Rani Biswas, a farmer in Satkhira, Bangladesh, has faced the devastating impact of rising sea levels on her crops. With the help of Practical Action, she has learned to construct elevated dykes, transforming her farming practice and securing her family’s livelihood against catastrophic floods.
1. Purnima and her husband harvest crops grown with the protection of elevated dykes against flood damage. Dykes are barriers built to protect the land from water damage and can be built using locally-available materials.
2. Pumpkins thrive on Purnima’s farm. She’s also learned how to grow bitter gourds on the flooded ponds that used to be considered barren wasteland, further boosting her harvest.
3. The couple holds their grown vegetables, a testament to the success of their adaptive farming methods. Many of her neighbours have taken up dyke farming after seeing their success.
4. Carrying pumpkins and bitter gourds from their farm, the couple shows the effectiveness of elevated dykes in safeguarding their crops.
5. The harvested vegetables are ready for sale, marking the journey from cultivation to potential income. Purnima told us, “Since we grow vegetables, we don’t have to buy them from the market. And the money from the sale of extra vegetables helps us meet household expenses.”
