Floods recur on a regular basis in Bangladesh. In urban Korail, floods lead to an increased risk of disease, while in the rural area of Sirajganj, floods threaten poor households' key livelihoods activities, though the main 'disaster' is a chronic lack of labor opportunities during the lean season. The analysis team followed the PCMMA guidance to apply an approach similar to that of the EMMA Toolkit in a pre-crisis context. The team examined how the floods in the context of the lean season and rainy season impact the function of one critical market system in each area (potable water in Korail and agricultural labor in Sirajganj), in order to draw conclusions about the likely impact of future floods and seasonal rains on selected market systems, and to propose appropriate market-based preparedness and response interventions. For the water market system, this report recommends unconditional cash distribution to help people meet their drinking water needs, the installation of mobile water treatment plants and the distribution of locally procured water. For the agricultural labor market system, the report recommends livelihoods diversification and strengthening activities, unconditional cash programs for basic needs during emergency and early recovery periods, conditional cash to enable small-scale farmers to hire agri-laborers, cash for work for DRR-related projects at the community level, vouchers for flood-resistant paddy varieties and the creation or support of agricultural associations and cooperatives.
Report authors:
Benjamin Barrows, Inés Dalmau i Gutsens
