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Location
Parbotipur Union of Gomastapur Upazila (sub-district) under Chapai Nawabganj District, in the Northwest part of Bangladesh. Parbotipur is located about 90 km northwest from the Rajshahi Divisional Headquarter and about 400 km away from Dhaka (see location map).
Transport and Communication
The area is accessible only by road from any location in Bangladesh. The field trip organizer will arrange vehicles for the participants to visit the site from Dhaka.
Accommodation facilities
Parjatan Motel (owned by Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation), Rajshahi is only the standard accommodation unit with all facilities and best location for visit to field. This Parjatan Motel is equipped for providing the following facilities:
18 AC standard rooms with modern furniture & fittings
31 non AC standard rooms with modern furniture and fittings
Colour TV
24 hour reception and room service
Intercom Telephone
Laundry service
Hot and cold running water
Restaurant etc
Local host organization
Caritas Bangladesh a renowned national NGO working for human development and poverty reduction since 1972 is willing to host the CBA workshop participants for field visit their working area at Parbotipur Union. In this site Caritas is implementing the project “Integrated Human Development Project”.
The project is aiming to promote socio-economic and cultural development of the poor and marginalized Adibashi (Aboriginal) community of the Barind Tract for the empowerment of the members and strengthening the traditional community organization (Dighori, Pargana, Baishi) at village, union & upazila level.
Natural configuration of the area
The whole Northwest region of Bangladesh is facing low rainfall, ground water depletion, drought and deforestation for the last 3-4 decades. According to country studies on climate change, drought situation will be aggravated in the region in the coming years. The field visit site situated in the severe drought-prone region of the country with high concentration of poverty. Agriculture and other main livelihood activities and human health are badly affected by the drought situation in the locality.
A large number of people are aborigines and ethnic minorities who are socio-culturally excluded (self-confined) as well as economically and politically marginalized. Higher levels of food insecurity, unemployment and seasonal migration are common as their livelihoods significantly depend on natural resource base. Common people lack awareness about current and future climate change impacts and they do not have much idea for necessary adaptation options to address these.
The government of Bangladesh has recently undertaken an irrigation project through the installation of a deep tube well in the region to increase agricultural productivity, which does not cover the whole area and community. The NGOs working in the area concentrate on micro-credit, alternative income generating activities, promotion of agriculture with new crops, health, water and limited tree plantation but without considering the emerging climate disaster and its impact.
List of activities by village to visit:
Pond excavation and re-excavation for domestic use, fish culture, irrigation, etc. Parbatipur Union
Drought tolerant crops, Siddigram and Dharmapur villages in Parbatipur Union
Homestead gardening, Krishnapur village in Parbatipur Union
Mango tree plantation for, Siddigram village in Parbatipur
Barind project activities (irrigation, plantation, re-excavation and water conservation, drinking water supply, etc.)
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