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American International Journal of Social Science Research 

Vol. 1, No. 1; 2017 

Published by Centre for Research on Islamic Banking & Finance and Business 

 

33 
 

 

Economic Analysis of Vulnerability and Capacity: A Study of 

Water Logging, Bhobodah, Keshabpur, Jessore 
 

Md. Mizanuzzaman1 

 

1Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh 

Correspondence: C/O. Nazrul Store, 122, West Kafrul, Taltala Bazar, Dhaka-1207,Bangladesh. 

 

Received: September 13, 2017     Accepted: September 15, 2017     Online Published: September 20, 2017 

 

 

Abstract 

Global environmental change and sustainability science increasingly recognize the need to address the 

consequences of changes taking place in the structure and function of the biosphere. These changes raise 

questions such as: Who and what are vulnerable to the multiple environmental changes underway, and 

where? This recognition requires revisions and enlargements in the basic design of vulnerability 

assessments, including the capacity to treat coupled human–environment systems and those linkages 

within and without the systems that affect their vulnerability. A vulnerability framework for the assessment 

of coupled human–environment systems is presented. (Turner. et.al).This study is related with economic 

analysis of vulnerability and capacity contextually Jessore’s village.  

 

Keywords: Economic Analysis, Vulnerability, Capacity, Water Logging, Jessore.   

 

1. Introduction 

Due to perpetual siltation in the rivers and as a consequence of unplanned development interventions on the 

river system, long-lasting water-logging in the human settlements is taking place in Keshabpur resulting in 

considerable loss and damage to dwelling houses, standing crops, shrimp farms, roads, educational institutions. 

The floods and prolonged water-logging have caused significant displacement presenting humanitarian 

challenges in safe water supply, sanitation, and shelter and food security. 

Water logging at Bhobodah like BilDakatia as a matter of concern since about 25 to 30 years has become a 

national problem. The expansion and intensity of that water logging has exceeded of all previous records this 

year. Concerning on this matter if there would be taken any effective and permanent initiatives by the 

government it will be very difficult to live in the affected locality. A famine like condition is existing among the 

people. In addition with this starvation and unemployment problems create an unbearable condition. Cultivation 

of BORO, IRRI and other crops has been hindered. Considering this condition, people of that locality raise their 

voice for declaration as a disaster prone area and to provide relief, taking proper steps for rehabilitation to the 

concerned authority. 

1.1 Water Logging Areas and Losses 

Catchments of the Hari-Mukteswary and Aparbhaddra- Harihar rivers are generally considered as Bhabodah area.  

In terms of administrative consideration water logging of Keshabpur, Monirampur, Abhoynagar, sadarupazillas of 



Economic Analysis of Vulnerability and Capacity: A Study of Water Logging, Bhobodah, Keshabpur, 

Jessore                 

Md. Mizanuzzaman 

 

34 
 

Jessore district and Dumuriaupazilla of Khulna district are of seized areas. 

 

Table-1: Affected Sector: Water Logging Areas and Losses 

 

No. of 

Affected 

Upazilla 

No. of 

Affected 

Union 

Affected 

Land area 

Affected 

People 

Migrant 

Family 

Affected Sector 

05 41 77346 

hectares 

708035 1003  Households 

 Health & 

sanitation 

 Crops fields 

 Fishing projects 

 Roads & 

constructions 

 Educational & 

religious 

institutions 

 Socio-economic 

conditions 

1.2 Reasons of Water Logging 

In the decade of 60’s, by the prevalent government established polder system which is known as wapda to 

protect salinity and sudden up surge from the rivers for producing huge food in the coastal areas .the locality , 

livelihood households , bils and cannels are surrounded by the embankment in this process . and many sluice 

gates were built to turn out saline water of the bils and cannels . Agricultural revaluation such as bumper 

production of agriculture , one time harvesting has found for instance . But the impact of this process water 

logging is followed within 10 to 15 years of its establishment because of silt deposition . 

 Before establishment of polder system , tide driven silt disseminated on the land area of bil and silt free water 

discharged by low laying wet lands of bil became up rise by siltation on the other hand navigation problem did 

not found in the rivers . But establishing polder silt oriented water did not disseminate on the field as a result silt 

depositions became started in the river . Successively silt deposition made the river comparatively high from the 

inter related cannel or bil and oppressed to discharge rainfall water and found water logging. Silt deposition ratio 

is high in the terminal point of the river. About 5 to 7 km of river is going into rise 1 miter becoming lost its 

navigation and unnatural death by siltation. Mean while the rivers of Hamkur , LoarVadra, Aprar Salta, 

Burivadra have become go into unnatural death and the condition of other rivers is crucial .As a result about 

12-15 thousand acears of land submerged by water logging .  

2. Research Methodology 

The methodology for our study involved the implementation of vulnerability and capacity analyse through while 

information from previous studies conducted in these villages was used to profile the characteristics of the area. 

Community groups as well as people of different sectors participated in thisprocess. The problems and issues 

faced by each villager as a whole as well as those faced by villagers individually were discussed. Scoring and 

ranking methods were usedto identifying the most severe problems. 

Participants were asked to priorities the problems that affected their village as a whole rather than those faced at 



Economic Analysis of Vulnerability and Capacity: A Study of Water Logging, Bhobodah, Keshabpur, 

Jessore                 

Md. Mizanuzzaman 

 

35 
 

an individual or family level. The strategy we adopted assumes working with households, communities and 

other local entities is an effective mechanism for identifying those factors that preventor enables responses to 

events that could cause disaster. Without such consultations the problems faced by a small group of people or 

households within a community will be overlooked. In-depth discussions on the problems identified followed 

and social maps were used to analyse the causes and effects of each problem. This process is outlined in Figure 

1& 2. 

Step-1: Identifying potential Threats: 

a). Problem Identification 

b). Objective Elaboration 

c). Questionnaire and FGD 

d). Secondary data accumulation 

Step-2: Identifying Vulnerabilities: 

a). Focus Group Discussion FGD 

b). Key Informant Interview 

c). Vulnerability Assessment 

Step-3: Assessing people’s capacities to prevent or cope with Threats: 

a). Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptation capacity 

b). Key suggestion generation in line to adaptation & mitigation 

c). Sharing and feedback collection 

d). Secondary data accumulation 

e). Data Entry and Analysis 

f). Key suggestion generation in line to adaptation & mitigation 

g). Draft reporting 

h). Final reporting 

 

Vulnerability 

• A set of conditions and processes resulting from physical, social, economic and environmental factors that 

increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact of hazards. 

 • Three dimensions: economic, social and ecological. 

 

Regional vulnerability = damage potential + coping capacity 

 

Vulnerability: Economic dimension 

• Economic damage potential, which can be understood as anything concrete that affects the economy of a 

region and can be damaged by a hazard.  

• Represents the risk to production, distribution and consumption. 

 

 

 

 

 



Economic Analysis of Vulnerability and Capacity: A Study of Water Logging, Bhobodah, Keshabpur, 

Jessore                 

Md. Mizanuzzaman 

 

36 
 

 

All of the steps are accomplished by 2 FGDs, Interviews and Informant Questioners. 

 

Source:  

FGD-1:      15 persons 

FGD-2:      15 persons 

Informal Interview:  10 persons 

Informant Questioners:  10 persons 

Total Participants:   50 persons 

Male:      30 

Female:      20 

 

Study Location: Bharat Bhaina, Dohury, Kopalia 

Upazilla: Keshabpur 

District: Jessor 

3. Data Analysis 

Table: 2: People’s perceptions on sensitivity of major sector/ activity associated with induced water stress and 

vulnerability by 2 FGDs, Interviews and Informant Questioners 

 

Affected 

Sector/Activity Due To 

Water Stress 

 

Response in Percentage (%) Over Study Area 

FGD-1 

(15 persons) 

FGD-2 

(15 persons) 

Interview 

(10 persons) 

Questioners 

(10 persons) 

Total 

Average % 

Impact on drinking 

water supply 

90 85 87 90 88.00 

Impact on Domestic 

water use 

85 91 83 85 86.00 

Standard of living 75 85 80 85 81.25 

Cultivation 100 95 87 93 93.75 

Navigation 42 30 15 25 28 

Shrimp culture 85 95 90 85 88.75 

Fishing 75 85 80 85 81.25 

Women’s home stead 

vegetable 

gardening 

80 83 78 75 79.00 

Rearing of livestock and 

poultry 

82 87 85 84 84.50 

Impact on water quality 76 73 68 72 72.25 

Impact on water 

dependent ecosystem 

65 64 71 68 67.00 

Impact on water related 

diseases 

87 78 86 82 83.25 

Impact on 

communication 

78 76 86 81 80.25 

Impact on hygienic 

condition 

67 58 76 67 67.00 

Impact on health & 

sanitation 

67 72 82 75 74.00 

Impact on education 75 78 76 77 76.50 



Economic Analysis of Vulnerability and Capacity: A Study of Water Logging, Bhobodah, Keshabpur, 

Jessore                 

Md. Mizanuzzaman 

 

37 
 

Impact on social strength 67 63 60 65 63.75 

Impact on social 

economy 
78 76 83 78 78.75 

Impact on households 

(clay made/hut) 
87 90 85 88 87.50 

Impact on educational 

institutions 
56 65 70 60 62.75 

Migration trend  45 52 47 45 47.25 

Salinity intrusion 95 87 93 90 91.25 

 

3.1 Impact of Water Logging Induced Disaster on Livelihood Capital 

The study didn’t use complex scientific data to access water logging variability and change. The study was more 

focused on to gain people’s valuable perception and tried to link that withexisting literature and scientific 

statements. Table 1 shows the people’s perception on impact on water logging. 

It was quite interesting to see that the most noticeablechange is the salinity intrusion (91.25%) and response was 

higher in comparingto other two study areas. About 94% respondents identified that there was increased 

intensity of water logging and most of the cultivable lands are inundated which causing problems to cultivation. 

Almost 93.4% respondents identified that water logging creates sever impact on natural resources and hamper 

income generating for along duration. Even, women’s other gender differentiated roles like water and fuel 

woodcollection have become limited due to the onset of inundation events. They identified salinity intrusion as 

the second most hazardous incident. They further pointed out that salinity intrusion is not disaster event but it is 

an on setting gradual event due to long time water logging. 

 

Table : 3. Possible adaptive measures to reduce climate change impacts on water resources 

 

Adaptive measure 

related to water 

logging 

 

Response in percentage (%) over study area 

FGD-1 

(15 persons) 

FGD-2 

(15 persons) 

Interview 

(10 persons) 

Questioners 

(10 persons) 

Total 

Average % 

Tidal River Management 

(TRM) establishment 
100 95 98 100 98.25 

Utilization in 

domestic activity 

89 96 98 88 92.75 

Digging of protected 

pond to preserve safety 

water 

100 97 97 98 98.00 

Change in traditional 

irrigation practice 

100 97 97 98 98.00 

Reduce shrimp 

cultivation 

87 78 77 79 80.25 

Reduce embankment 100 98 90 96 96.00 

Improving drainage 

system installation to 

prevent water logging 

78 87 78 76 79.75 

Plantation of saline 

tolerant tree/paddy 

species 

98 96 94 95 95.75 

Plantation of water 

logging tolerant 

tree/paddy species 

96 96 98 92 95.50 



Economic Analysis of Vulnerability and Capacity: A Study of Water Logging, Bhobodah, Keshabpur, 

Jessore                 

Md. Mizanuzzaman 

 

38 
 

Reduce relief 

dependency 
86 80 65 78 77.25 

Divert in other 

occupation 
78 74 62 63 69.25 

Rebuilt households 78 86 86 87 84.25 

      

Table 3 shows possible adaptive measures to water logging impacts on waterresources. Adaptive measures along 

with people’s coping strategy could work in parallel toenhance their resilience and adaptive capacity to the 

water resources with time andopportunity that might benefit the resource and resource dependent community as 

a whole.They added that river erosion further builds up sand deposition inthe river bed and floodplain. Gradual 

salinityintrusion during summer season and abrupt salinity infestation due to storm surge and tidalsurge 

associated water logging is also critical phenomenon in the area. Besides these,increasing trend in temperature 

together with erratic rainfall is substantially damaging waterresource in the study area. To fully understand the 

impacts of climate change on waterresource, the socio-economic dimension needs to be analyzed parallel with 

environmentaland physical scenario. 

4. Findings of the Study 

Table-4: shows vulnerable condition and coping capacity of the people of that area. 

 Vulnerabilities Capacities 

Physical/material 

 

 

- About 87.50% of households 

mainly clay made affected by 

logging water 

- Around 77346 hectors of 

agricultural land is waterlogged 

- About 76% educational cntres do 

not function for using as shelter 

home and causes of inundation 

- About 90% people do not get pure 

drinking water 

- Hygiene and sanitation condition 

are severely affected 
- About 84% of people affected by 

different diseases 

- About 88.75% of shrimp 

cultivation projects damaged  

- Establishment of TRM project 

by which about 99% people will 

be benefitted 

- About 90% of cultivable land is 

possible to use by using TRM  

- Govt. has taken initiatives to  

improve or repair roads and 

constructions 

- Govt. authority provide Saline 

and flood tolerant trees and paddy 

seeds  

- knowledge of building 
households increased 

- Diverting trend to other 

occupation 

 

Social/organizational 

 

What are the relation and 

organization among people? 

- 47% of households have members 

who migrate out, 

migration of youths is increasing 

- Social strength has been broken 

- Decentralised roles and 

responsibilities in group work 

- Youth group strengthening 

- Building physical and moral 

strength to face rising condition 

Motivational/attitudinal 

 

How does the community views its 

ability to create change? 

-Water logging makes our lives 

difficult but we cannot get enough 

external support 

- We have got several assurance but 

have not executed yet 
- We have to depend on 

government authority for relief. 

 

- Readiness to work together 

- Demand for new agriculture 

techniques 

- Participation in community 

meetings 
- Willingness to obtain new 

information 

- Readiness to contribute to 

resources 

 

 



Economic Analysis of Vulnerability and Capacity: A Study of Water Logging, Bhobodah, Keshabpur, 

Jessore                 

Md. Mizanuzzaman 

 

39 
 

4.1 Loss or Damage Assessment 

By applying the following measure we would able to understand the damage and loss per year for the required 

area. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Economic Analysis of Vulnerability and Capacity: A Study of Water Logging, Bhobodah, Keshabpur, 

Jessore                 

Md. Mizanuzzaman 

 

40 
 

 

4.2 Loss Assessment per year (Sector Wise) 

According to the above mentioned data (Table: 5) in addition with the providing formula the following loss will 

be observed per year. 

Table-5: Loss Assessment per year (Sector Wise) 

90%

95%

100%

House holds Paddy (Aman) 
Per Year

Educational 
center

Shrimp 
Cultivation

Series 3

Loss Sector Wise

Damage %

 

Fiqure-1: Loss Sector Wise Damage 

Affected 

Sectors 

Total 

Number 

Total Cost Tk. 

(App.) 

Estimated 

Damage 

(%) 

Estimated 

Number  

Estimated Cost 

(Tk.) 

Lum sum 

damage Cost 

Total  loss  

Tk. 

Households 

(Clay 

made) 

12,000 30,000 tk. * 

12,000 

=36,00,00,000 

87.50 10,500 10,500* 30,000= 

31,50,00,000 

1,00,00,000 

Tk. 

32,50,00,000 

Crop 

(Paddy) 

Arable land 

 

Estimated 
only for 

(Aman 

Paddy) 

85,000 

ha 

85,000* 14,000 = 

119,00,00,000 

 

93 77346 ha 108,28,44,000 

Tk. 

Amount of 

Production = 

10,200 mt 
Total price= 

10,200*25,000 = 

25,50,00,000 Tk. 

50,00,000 Tk. 26.00,00,000 

Educational 

Center 

350 350*20,00,000 = 

70,00,00,000Tk. 

76 266 266 * 20,00,000 

= 53,20,00,000 

Tk. 

80,00,00,000 

Tk. 

54,00,00,000 

Tk. 

Shrimp 

Cultivation  

15,000 

accr. 

15,000 * 1,00,000 

= 150,00,00,000 

88.75 1,330 1330* 100000 = 

13,30,00,000 Tk. 

70,00,000Tk. 14,00,000Tk. 

 Total loss per year = 227,26,00,000 Tk. 



Economic Analysis of Vulnerability and Capacity: A Study of Water Logging, Bhobodah, Keshabpur, 

Jessore                 

Md. Mizanuzzaman 

 

41 
 

Conclusion 

Before establishment of polder system , tide driven silt disseminated on the land area of bil and silt free water 

discharged by low laying wet lands of bil became up rise by siltation on the other hand navigation problem did 

not found in the rivers . But establishing polder silt oriented water did not disseminate on the field as a result silt 

depositions became started in the river . Successively silt deposition made the river comparatively high from the 

inter related cannel or bil and oppressed to discharge rainfall water and found water logging. Silt deposition ratio 

is high in the terminal point of the river. About 5 to 7 km of river is going into rise 1 miter becoming lost its 

navigation and unnatural death by siltation. Mean while the rivers of Hamkur , LoarVadra, Aprar Salta, 

Burivadra have become go into unnatural death and the condition of other rivers is crucial .As a result about 

12-15 thousand acears of land submerged by water logging and losses about 227,26,00,000 Tk per year .  

 

 

References 

Turner, B. L., Kasperson, R. E., Matson, P. A., McCarthy, J. J., Corell, R. W., Christensen, L., ... & 

Polsky, C. (2003). A framework for vulnerability analysis in sustainability science. Proceedings of 

the national academy of sciences, 100(14), 8074-8079 

Water Logging in Satkhira District  

An Analysis of Gaps between Needs and Response November 2011, Early Recovery Facility, UNDP 

Bangladesh 

Impact of Climate Induced Disaster on Gender By: Dr. Sujit Kumar Bala, Dr. G M Tarekul Islam Sustainable 

Livelihoods and Vulnerability to Disaster By: John Twigg 

Options for Self-reliant Resurgence 

CPD’s Rapid Assessment of Flood 2004 

 

 

 

Copyrights 

Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to the journal. 


