The two hypotheses of the article include: H1 – Grabbing water bodies have a negative socio-economic impact on indigenous residents with different livelihoods, H0 – Grabbing water bodies do not have a negative socio-economic impact on indigenous residents with different livelihoods. The hypothesis is correct since the research is focused on studying why grabbing water bodies occur in the city of Dhaka and the results of such actions (Sujauddin 242). The hypothesis also matches the main objectives of the research being carried out. The research study was done between 2019 and 2020 in three rivers.
Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in this study. The researcher did the study in three main rivers in Dhaka city: Balu River, Turag River, and Buriganga River. The purpose of selecting the three rivers is because of easy accessibility and being prone to the grabbing problem. Proportionality principle and simple random sampling techniques were applied, and 130 (N=130) people participated as respondents generalized from the communities around the three rivers (Sujauddin 245). Case studies, interviews, and discussions in groups were also used in the study to get enough data on the water bodies grabbing issues and their impacts.
The interviews combined a survey design and the one-on-one method. The survey approach involved interview questions that were both open-ended and closed, and then the one-on-one interview was carried later on ten people (Sujauddin 248). Later the data was checked again, and the classification of variables done to ascertain integrity. Input and analysis of data were done in SPSS and Microsoft Excel software. The researcher used graphical presentation and descriptive statistics to analyze data and present results.
The researcher used a field research tool in conducting the study. The fieldwork was done in Dhaka city around the three main rivers; Turag, Balu, and Buriganga (Sujauddin 243). The residents around the three rivers were the main target for the research. These residents were easily available as they are informally employed around the area, they had a lot of information about water bodies grabbing around the area, and they were also directly impacted by the grabbing. Field research provided enough data that was analyzed and presented demographically.
Researcher Sujauddin reported both qualitative and quantitative reports. The quantitative report was that most participants in this study were young people—a small proportion comprised of adults ranging between 46 and 55 years of age (Sujauddin 250). The participants comprised males and females who were mostly the head of the families visited and were also the main providers of their families. The participants’ occupations were diverse, including farmers, fishermen, shopkeepers, and business people. Notably, a good number of women were identified as housewives.
The best responses came from the youths who seemed informed about the impacts of the water bodies grabbing issue in the region. The qualitative report showed that the economic status of people around those areas was very low due to the negative effects of the grabbing issue. Most participants displayed illiteracy in the way they responded to questions. Most residents in the area were unemployed due to their low educational standards. Most of them were primary school graduates, with few post-primary school graduates.
The income percentage from the study showed low economic income. With the large families reported in the area, 10000 to around 15000 Bangladeshi taka was a low income for them (Sujauddin 245). From both the quantitative and qualitative reports, various people were involved in the grabbing of water bodies. Governments, political people, and big people who own companies were termed being at the forefront in the grabbing process. Development of industries and construction of houses were some of the main activities contributing to the grabbing of water bodies.
Qualitative reports explained the impacts of grabbing water bodies not only on the society but also on the residents of the area. The social-economic results of grabbing water bodies identified were; income reduction, high cost of food, mental stress and pressure, problems in transportation, household difficulties, and workplaces being insufficient. Livelihood threats leading to migration were also an impact mentioned. So, it is true grabbing water bodies negatively impacts the natives. Microsoft excels, and the Statistical package for social science was used to analyze the collected data (Sujauddin 246). The data was presented in a socio-demographic profile with different elements indicated with their percentages. The socio-demographic profile contained percentage ages of people interviewed and surveyed percentages of their occupations, their academic qualification percentages and households’ income per month. This profile was simple to understand as the data was clearly analyzed.
The causes and effects of grabbing water bodies were also analyzed and demo-graphically presented. The profile had grabbers such as government, politicians, nomads, businessmen, and local people, among others (Sujauddin 246). Reasons for grabbing water bodies such as the establishment of apartments, sand business, constructing markets, making garage, and building slams are also represented. Effects of land grabbing are also analyzed and represented; high cost of living, low income, fishery problem, and difficulty in transportation.
From the research study, the researcher concluded that grabbing water bodies negatively affects people in a specific society. The lives of Dhaka people were seen to deteriorate massively due to the grabbing effects (Sujauddin 251). It is recommended that awareness should be increased on the importance of water bodies. Several seminars and talks should be organized between residents and the authorities on the grabbing of water bodies. Since the grabbing of water bodies takes place gradually, the government should monitor water bodies frequently for the safety of the locals and the society as a whole.
Work Cited
Sujauddin, K. M. “Socio-Economic Impact of Grabbing Water Bodies: A Sociological Study.” EAS Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, vol. 2, no. 5, 2020. Web.