SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND INCOME DETERMINANTS FOR TRANSBOUNDARY SEMI-FILLED RIVERINE HABITANTS OF SUNAMGANJ, BANGLADESH

ISLAM AKMR; FARUKH MA; BATEN MA; HOQUE MA

doi:10.22159/ijags.2025v13i5.54442

Authors

ISLAM AKMR Graduate Training Institute, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
FARUKH MA Department of Environmental Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
BATEN MA Department of Environmental Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
HOQUE MA Department of Agricultural Extension, Khamarbari, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22159/ijags.2025v13i5.54442

Keywords:

Socioeconomic status, Riverine habitants, Income source, Living opportunity, Polluted water, Modern technique, Income determinants

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the socioeconomic status (SES) of Damalia semi-filled riverine residents in Biswambarpur Upazila, Sunamganj District, Bangladesh, who were affected by different disasters, especially drought in the dry season and flash flood in wet season. The information was gathered from secondary sources (government and non-governmental organizations) as well as primary sources (interviews, questionnaire surveys, and individual and group discussions) from July to December 2023 and analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software through descriptive statistics, frequency and percentage frequency, Chi-square test, and multiple linear regression models. According to the study, 33.33% of the habitants were illiterate, and the rest of them were primary to higher educated, as well as maximum inhabitants (93.8%) were Muslims and the rest of them were Hindus in religion. Around 50% of the respondents earned money from farming and the rest from business, jobs, fishing, and others; whereas 31.25% of households made semi-pucca houses, and 79.20% had sanitation facilities. The respondent’s annual income, age, and land area on average were 17252.29 Tk, 40.25 years, and 1.12 acres, respectively, and their main drinking water source was tube well (84%). About 49.00% and 47.90% of the respondents were in medium to low social statuses, and the overall living opportunities score of 0.368 means that their SES was low in these areas. The respondent’s number was decreasing significantly (p≤0.05) with increasing education level, income level, and social status. The income of the respondents increased significantly (p≤0.05) with an increase in education level, women’s participation in the work, electricity, and drinking water availability. The study concludes that the overall SES was low, highlighting the need for government and institutional support to improve their access to education, healthcare, income, employment opportunities, infrastructure, and natural resources.

References

Ahamed, N. U. (1996). Reports of the fishermen’s socio-economic survey. Fisheries survey and monitoring program (p. 4). Tangail: Department of Fisheries.

Ahmed, D. S., Ali, D. M. S., & Islam, A. K. M. R. (2017). Surface and ground water quality report 2016. Department of Environment, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of the People Republic of Bangladesh.

Ahmed, M., Saha, S. M., Hossain, M. E., Khan, M. A., & Prodhan, M. M. H. (2021). Assessment of livelihood and food poverty status of the floating fishermen in riverine system of Bangladesh. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 4(1), 100219.

Akhie, A. A., & Dipta, I. A. (2018). Effects of water pollution in surrounding rivers of Dhaka City. International conference on research and innovation in civil engineering. Southern University Bangladesh, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Alam, M. S. (2004). Gender role and gender participation in beel fishery in some selected areas in Gazipur Sadar Upazila under Gazipur District (pp. 87). Mymensingh: Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, [M.S. Thesis].

Ali, H., Azad, M. A. K., Anisuzzaman, M., Chowdhury, M. M. R., Hoque, M., & Shariful, M. I. (2010). Livelihood status of the fish farmers in some selected areas of Tarakanda upazila of Mymensingh district. Journal of Agroforestry and Environment, 3(2), 85-89.

Alston, M., & Mason, R. (2008). Who turns the taps off? Introducing social flow to the Australian water debate. Rural Society, 18(2), 131-139.

BBS. (2015). Bangladesh population and housing census 2011. Zila report,

BBS. (2020). Statistical year book of Bangladesh. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Bhattacharja, D. (2014). Status and socio-economic problems of Nunakunri villagers: A case study of Nunakunri Village, Purba Medinipur District. Radix International Journal of Research in Social Science, 3(7), 1-14.

Chapin, F. S. (1928). A quantitative scale for rating the home and social environment of middle class. Journal of Educational Psychology, 19(2), 99-111.

Chen, G., Pei, Q., & Kamruzzaman, M. M. (2020). Remote sensing image quality evaluation based on deep support value learning networks. Signal Processing Image Communication, 83, 115783.

Das, M. R., Ray, S., Kumar, U., Begum, S., & Tarafdar, S. R. (2015). Livelihood assessment of the fishermen community in the South West region of Bangladesh. Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, 3(4), 353-361.

De Clerck, F., Ingram, J. C., & Del Rio, C. M. R. (2006). The role of ecological theory and practice in poverty alleviation and environmental conservation. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 4(10), 533-540.

Dey, S. (2008). Deforestation and the Garo women of Modhupur Garh, Bangladesh. Asian Women, 24(3), 57-81.

Dungdung, K., & Pattanaik, B. K. (2020). Tribal development disparities in Odisha: An empirical analysis. South Asia Research, 40(1), 94-110.

HIES. (2016). Preliminary report on household income and expenditure survey. Dhaka: Bureau of Statistics Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Hossain, M. A., Sathi, S. S., Hossain, M. S., Akter, M. F., & Ullah, M. O. (2020). Assessing the livelihood status of fishermen at Sunamganj District in Bangladesh. Biometrics and Biostatistics International Journal, 9(1), 16-20.

Hossain, M. I., Siwar, C., Mokhtar, M. B., Dey, M. M., & Jaafar, A. H. (2009). Socioeconomic condition of fishermen in seasonal floodplain Beels in Rajshahi District, Bangladesh. Research Journal of Social Sciences, 4, 74-81.

Hossain, M. M. (2007). Utilization pattern of Mokesh beel for livelihood of the local fishermen of Kaliakoir Upazilla under Gazipur district (pp. 80). Mymensingh: Department of Aquaculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, [M.S. Thesis].

Hossain, M., Malek, M. A., Hossain, M. A., Reza, M. H., & Ahmed, M. S. (2019). Agricultural microcredit for tenant farmers: Evidence from a field experiment in Bangladesh. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 101(3), 692-709.

Hossain, S. A., Hasan, M. T., Alam, M. T., & Mazumder, S. K. (2014). Socio-economic condition of the fishermen in Jelepara under Pahartoli of Chittagong District. Journal of Sylhet Agricultural University, 1, 65-72.

Islam, A. K. M. R. (2023). Field survey during Jan-June, 2023. Visited Trans-boundary riverine habitant’s area to assess their living status at extreme Nort-Eastern part of Bangladesh.

Islam, M. A., Parvin, S., & Farukh, M. A. (2017). Impacts of riverbank erosion hazards in the Brahmaputra floodplain areas of Mymensingh in Bangladesh. Progressive Agriculture, 28(2), 73.

Islam, M. N. (2020). Seasonal livelihood variation and socio-economic conflict of the Chalan beel Wetland area: Acase of Beel Chiroil at Pabna District in Bangladesh. Pabna University of Science and Technology Studies, 4(1), 29-37.

Jahan, M. I., Alam, M. S., Karim, M. S., Sultana, N., Mamun, M., & Rafiquzzaman, S. M. (2018). Assessment of fish diversity and socio-economic condition of fishermen in Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 4, 69-76.

Khanum, R. (2013). Socio-economic condition of fishermen: Evidence from Hakaluki Haor of Bangladesh. Asian Business Review, 2(4), 19-21.

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Delhi: New Age International Publishers. Retrieved from: https:// search.worldcat.org/title/1290045904

Larned, S. T., Datry, T., Arscott, D. B., & Tockner, K. (2010). Emerging concepts in temporary-river ecology. Freshwater Biology, 55, 717-738.

Liao, Y., Tucker, P., Okoro, C. A., Giles, W. H., Mokdad, A. H., & Harris, V. B. (2004). REACH 2010 surveillance for health status in minority communities---United States, 2001-2002. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 53(6), 1-36.

Mannu, M. U. (1999). Jeleder sukh dukh. The daily janakantha. Sussex: Institute of Janakantha.

Meehl, G. A., Stocker, T. F., & Collins, W. D. (2007). In S. Solomon, D. Qin, M., & Manning (Eds.), Global climate projections. Geneva: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Milliano, C. W. J., De Ferf, A., Groeniger, J. O., & Mashanda, M. (2015). Surveying livelihoods, service delivery and governance: Baseline evidence from the democratic republic of Congo. Secure livelihoods research consortium (pp. 1-54). Wageningen Ur: Wageningen University.

Morsheduzzaman, M., Alam, M. T., Akter, T., Nahid, S. K. A., Khanm, M., & Sayeed, M. A. (2009). Socio-economic conditions of the fishermen community of Ichamati River in Santhia Upazila under Pabna District. Journal of Agroforestry and Environment, 3(2), 159-162.

Pal, N., Mazumder, M. S., Akter, S., Khatun, M. A., & Alam, M. (2017). Socioeconomic status of the ethnic community in Bangladesh: An analysis using socioeconomic index, IOSR. Journal of Economics and Finance, 8(3), 92-97.

Palmer, M. A., Reidy Liermann, C. A., Nilsson, C., Flörke, M., Alcamo, J., Lake, P. S., & Bond, N. (2008). Climate change and the world’s river basins: Anticipating management options. Frontiers of Ecology Environment, 6, 81-89.

Pasiak, J. (1995). Sociological problems of local policy by views of villages Mayors. Sociologia, 27, 142-148.

Paul, D. K., Alam, M. A., Paul, S., Paul, R. C., & Barman, S. C. (2020). Assessment of Socio-economic condition of tribal community: Empirical evidence from tribal community oriented areas of Netrokona, Bangladesh. Discovery and Innovation, 56(298), 705-715.

Rahman, A. J. M. Z., Nishat, B., Chakraborty, S. K., & Hasan, M. E. (2017). India Bangladesh trans-boundary river atlas. In River beyond border book (pp. 94-101). United States: CRC Press.

Siddiq, M. A., Miah, M. I., Ahmed, Z. F., & Asadujjaman, M. (2013). Present status of fish, fishers and fisheries of Dogger beel in Hajigonj Upazila, Chandpur, Bangladesh. Journal of Aquatic Science, 1, 39-45.

Siddiqua, N. S., Uddin, M. S., Ahamed, G. S., & Tanwi, T. A. (2019). Assessment of the livelihood status of fish farmers and aquaculture conditions in Habigonj Sadar Upazila under Habigonj district, Bangladesh. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, 7, 105-109.

Sikdar, M. M. H., Sarkar, M. S. K., & Sadeka, S. (2014). Socio-economic conditions of the female garment workers in the capital city of Bangladesh. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 4(3), 173-179.

Sufian, M. A., Kunda, M., Islam, M. J., Haque, A. T. U., & Pandit, D. (2017). Socioeconomic conditions of fishermen of Dekar Haor in Sunamganj. Journal of the Sylhet Agricultural University, 4(1), 101-109.

Tarh, T. R. (2014). Socio-economic status and associate problems of the tribals: Acase study of a village in Kurung Kumey District of Arunachal Pradesh. An International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(2), 325-340.

Tarr, J. A. (1996). The search for the ultimate sink: Urban pollution in historical perspective. Akron, OH, USA: The University of Akron Press.

Tellegen, E., De Jong, P., Slingerland, S., Wijmer, S., & Wolsink, M. (1996). Public utility services and the limitation of domestic use of environmental resources in the Netherlands. Amsterdam’s Sociologist Tijdschrift, 23, 218-241.

UNESCO. (2018). Bangladesh education rate, UNESCO institute for statistics (UIS). United States: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Wikipedia. (2019). Water is essential not only for survival of human beings, but also for animals, plants, and all other livings being. Retrieved May 20, 2019,

Williams, W. D. (1988). Limnological imbalances: An antipodean viewpoint. Freshwater Biology, 20, 407-420.