Bangladesh Studies

The 2004 Flood in Bangladesh will be remembered because of the rapidity with which it struck and the severity of the damages that it inflicted upon the people and the economy of the country. Addressing the negative fallouts of Flood 2004 continues to remain a concern at the household level in the affected areas as well as for the policy makers and development practitioners. As the flood water was receding in August 2004, the Centre of Policy Dialogue (CPD) launched a Rapid Assessment of Flood 2004.

Living with Floods sets out to explore the 1998 deluge in Bangladesh, one that has been described as the worst flood in this century. It seeks to explain the deluge by way of reflecting on the experiential aspect of the affected millions, including that of the writers. There are altogether twenty-five articles, divided broadly into three sections, namely survival strategies, sustenance and work opportunities, and civic response.

Photovoltaic technology has emerged as one of the methods of accessing energy for low level consumption. The systems use solar energy for generation of electricity. Since solar energy is available everywhere, this technology should serve as a great booster for rural electrification. There is no fuel cost or moving parts in this system, resulting in quiet functioning leading to durability and a soundless environment. Since 1980, a number of organizations in Bangladesh have been involved in research, development and diffusion of PV systems, but penetration among the users has been very slow.

Shrimp farming has been one of the most important economic activities in many of the tropical countries of Asia and Latin America during the last three decades due to high demand mainly in USA, Europe and Japan. Shrimp export contributes significantly to the national economy, employment generation and livelihoods and has become an important consumable commodity accounting significantly to global trade in the recent years.