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Abstract
Some of Bangladesh's most vulnerable and impoverished citizens reside in the Char lands. The Chars are home to about 6.5 million people, or 5% of Bangladesh's total population. The current study was carried out at "Pakrul village," a Char land of the Jamuna River in the Madarganj upazila of the Jamalpur districts. Focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and direct observation are some of the techniques used to gather data. The study illustrated the livelihood strategies of the people of the char areas and the livelihood options of the areas. It also explored the major pathways to overcome livelihood vulnerability. The study's findings demonstrated that the residents of Char engage in multiple sources of income. Here, the opportunity for an off-farm livelihood is minimal. Seasonal floods, riverbank erosion, drought, and Char's remote location are the main causes of livelihood vulnerability. Their livelihood was made more precarious by an extremely inadequate communication system and underdeveloped Char shelters. Further, lack of institutional support and inadequate credit facilities made their lives difficult to cope with the situation. Lastly, the study recommends some suggestions for the policy planners and implementers for the future development of the study area. Increased institutional support and improved communication systems can lessen their livelihood vulnerability. Besides, available credit facilities and a developed Char market can change their whole scenario of livelihood in this area.
References
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