Life on the chars amid erosion and uncertainty: residents demand healthcare, fair prices and safe homes

River water rises, and sometimes falls. In one place a new char emerges; in another, homes are lost to erosion. Land that grew crops last season may be under the river’s current this season. It is amid such uncertainty over home, land and livelihood that the people of Bangladesh’s coastal char areas spend their days.

In areas such as Dublar Char in Khulna; Majher Char, Chhaila Char, Laldia Char, Fatrar Char and Nidra Char in Barguna; Char Kajal, Char Montaj and Andar Char in Patuakhali; and Char Fassion, Char Kukri-Mukri, Monpura and Dhal Char in Bhola, people’s lives are closely bound up with nature. The environment, livelihoods and geography of these chars are not the same, but the influence of river and sea is an important part of their daily lives.

A char is, in general, the new landmass created as silt accumulates in a river, lake or sea. River currents, tides and silt deposition change the size and position of this land: new land emerges in one place while settlements and farmland are swallowed by erosion in another. People have settled in these areas for farming, fishing, livestock rearing, grazing land and collecting forest resources.

For char people, a homestead is not just a place to live; it is family memory, ancestral identity and shelter for future generations. Even a small house made of tin, bamboo or polythene is precious to them. Despite the fear of a house being blown away on a stormy night, or of losing the homestead when river water rises, many are unwilling to leave the place easily.

A saying is common in the char areas — ‘life on the char depends on others’. If neighbours do not stand by in danger, or no one extends a helping hand in illness, a crisis becomes hard to manage. During river erosion, storms or floods, one family’s danger quickly becomes another family’s worry; when someone’s house is damaged, neighbours come forward.

The char economy is largely dependent on local resources and labour. Some farm, some fish, some rear livestock. Many run their households through day labour, collecting wood, small shops or tailoring. Work opportunities and income depend on the season, the weather, communications and the local market. Locally available fish and vegetables occupy an important place in their diet.

Hatem Ali, a vegetable seller at Dhal Char in Bhola, spoke of the labour-dependent life of char people. The essence of his remarks was that people here work hard and try to run their families on a small income. Even while receiving less than they need, many do not want to take the path of dishonest earnings; he sees this mindset of living honestly amid adversity as the char residents’ great strength.

Speaking to people on the ground, it emerges that in many char areas advanced healthcare, enough doctors, reliable communications and the chance of quick travel in an emergency are limited. As a result, even an ordinary problem in illness or accident can turn into a major crisis.

Sharif Mia, a physician at Dhal Char in Char Fassion upazila of Bhola, said: ‘Healthcare facilities on the char are very limited. For ordinary illness, people buy the medicine they need from the local pharmacy. But if tests are needed to understand the disease, or advanced treatment or a specialist’s advice, they have to go from the char to the upazila town. That costs more in both time and money. Especially in an emergency, getting fast treatment is a big challenge.’ He said trained doctors, necessary medicines and testing facilities must be increased to ensure healthcare for char people.

Another big question for char residents is getting a fair price for the produce they grow and the fish they catch. The cost of reaching the market, transport difficulties, a lack of storage and dependence on middlemen often reduce the income of farmers and fishers. In a gathering with locals at Badhghat market in Char Montaj, Rangabali upazila of Patuakhali, demands were raised: ensure fair prices for farm produce, arrange for fish to reach city markets quickly, and take effective steps to protect settlements from river erosion — steps that could make char life much more comfortable.

Dr Muhammad Ibrahim Khalil, head of the sociology department and associate professor at Barishal Government Brojomohun College, said: ‘The people of the char areas have learned to live with nature’s uncertainty. Their lives have crisis and limitations, and also labour, the capacity to adapt and the experience of social cooperation. But the resilience of char people should not be viewed in a way that makes struggling against adversity seem to be their destiny.’ He believes that if necessary infrastructure, better communications, quality education and healthcare, a fair market for farm and fishery products and realistic disaster management are ensured, char people will be able to build safer and more dignified lives.