Bangladesh

Practical Action Bangladesh

Practical Action started working in Bangladesh in the early 1980s. It has evolved over time to meet the challenges of poverty, inequality and vulnerability. Deeply committed to helping the poor, its work on appropriate technology as a means to improve poor peoples livelihoods, has been flexible and responsive to local conditions and needs.

Bangladesh is one of the most highly and densely populated countries in the world. It straddles the low-lying Ganges-Brahmaputra river delta - a dense network of 230 unstable rivers which regularly flood the surrounding area. Although the alluvial soil deposited by the rivers has created some of the most fertile plains in the world, crops are often devastated – drowned and washed away by flood water. Most of the country is less than 10 metres above sea level.

Our work in Bangladesh is centred around three programmes addressing vulnerability, markets and services. Key projects and technologies include:

Turning compost into lifelines The silted sands left behind after floods in Bangladesh are too infertile to grow crops. But a simple solution can transform a sandbar into a field rich with pumpkins. Floating gardens When water covers the land in Bangladesh, it can be impossible to grow crops. Practical Action has developed a technology to allow farmers to grow food on flooded land. Slum improvement An integrated approach to slum improvement in Bangladesh includes better waste collection, improved latrines, water filters and new income generation.

Rice-fish culture Rice-fish culture involves farmers introducing another ‘crop’ into their rice fields – small, indigenous fish - increasing crop yields. Resisting the flood waters Practical Action has worked with communities in Bangladesh to develop simple and affordable flood-resistant housing.

For more information on our work in Bangladesh, please see the Practical Action Bangladesh website