Changing livelihoods induced by the impact of shrimp cultivation: a participatory assessment in the Bedkashi Unions of Koyra Upazila, southwest Bangladesh

Abstract

In recent years, shrimp aquaculture has experienced spectacular growth in response to expanding global demand and higher economic return. Despite a number positive aspects (e.g., foreign exchange, employment and food) of shrimp farming, the industry has serious negative environmental impacts. Bangladesh is suffering because of unplanned expansion of this aquaculture and increasingly called as "a desert in the delta". The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of commercial saltwater shrimp farming on local ecosystems and livelihood patterns in southwest Bangladesh using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques. PRA tools were used to focus attention on people, their livelihoods and their interrelationships with socio-economic and ecological factors, which are commonly applied for qualitative research. The study suggests that vulnerabilities in livelihoods of the rural communities increased due to narrowing down agricultural production, income sources and natural supply of food. Other socio-economic impacts (e.g., landuse patterns, homestead and family structure, daily movement pattern and activities, drinking water, and law and order) also followed as a reaction to the changing ecological conditions. The study found that economic benefits from shrimp cultivation to the communities was minimal or even negative due to the polarization and outflow of profits, which is augmenting the threat of poverty. The ecological impacts of shrimp farming in the study region occurred due to the saline intrusion to agricultural fields which were mostly done by large/rich shrimp farmers. This resulted in loss of vegetation, native rice varieties, freshwater species and a number wild animals which are important to the coastal ecology. The findings of this study will be useful to the government and NGOs for designing sustainable shrimp cultivation and sustainable natural resources management in southwest Bangladesh.