Environmental degradation and loss of traditional agriculture as two causes of conflicts in shrimp farming in southwest coastal Bangladesh: present status and probable solution

Abstract

AbstractA survey was conducted among some of the stakeholders in the shrimp value chain on the south-western coast of Bangladesh. Using a well-structured and pre-tested questionnaire, the attitudes of the respondents towards the problems of environmental degradation and the loss of traditional agriculture were evaluated, and potential suggestions for solutions were sought. Eight negative influences were treated as conflict-generating factors, and the attitudes of the respondents were tested in this regard. Following two hypotheses were tested: a. environmental degradation is the main cause of the conflict ; b. loss of traditional agriculture is another main cause of the conflict . To test the hypothesis in relation to the loss of traditional agriculture, three conflict-generating factors were included in the analysis: existing farming reduced grazing land for live stock , existing farming reduced yearly rice production and existing farming reduced yearly cereal crop production . Furthermore, to test the hypothesis in relation to environmental degradation, five conflict-generating factors were included in the analysis: present farming reduced availability of fresh water present farming increased salt water intrusion present farming caused death of trees , present farming increased intensity of cyclone-related hazards, and present farming dismantled embankments providing flood protection. Attitudes towards seven of the eight, conflict generating factors varied significantly among the four sub-districts (Dacope, Batiaghata, Paikgacha and Shymnagar). Attitudes towards all eight factors varied significantly among four groups of respondents/stakeholders with different land use histories { mangrove-rice-shrimp (MRS), mangrove-rice (MR), mangrove-rice-shrimp-rice (MRSR), and others } and four groups of respondents/stakeholders with different farming practices (brackish water users, fresh water users, alternate water users, and others ). This study revealed that differences between sub-districts and differences in land use histories were the significant contributors to the explanation of the variation in the attitudes towards the conflicts. In our study, we found a trend in attitudes conflict-generating factors were more prominent where brackish water intrusion and brackish water shrimp farming were dominant. The reduction of grazing land available for livestock was a prominent (81.2 %) contributor of conflict in the case of conflict-generating factors related to loss of traditional agriculture. Salt water intrusion (81.2 %) and constraint of fresh water (75.3 %) were the two most prominent contributors of conflict in case of conflict generating factors regarding environmental degradation. Landless people and marginal farmers were the two pioneer groups most intensively involved in these conflicts. The primary arguments of the activists against shrimp farming were related to unemployment, environmental degradation and the loss of traditional agriculture. Two of the most popular suggestions towards sustainable farming and conflicts resolution were to maintain proper outlet and inlet systems and to maintain alternate farming of shrimp and rice .