Chars—riverine islands formed by erosion and sedimentation—cover roughly 8% of Bangladesh and are home to highly vulnerable populations facing isolation, weak infrastructure, and repeated natural shocks. To inform BRAC’s Integrated Development Programme (IDP), BIGD conducted a baseline survey of 6,120 households across 90 chars in Gaibandha and Kurigram. The population is young, literacy is low, and access to services is limited: few chars have road links, markets, or banks, while sanitation and secondary schooling remain scarce despite relatively high electricity coverage. Livelihoods are concentrated in low-productivity activities. BRAC’s Integrated Development Programme (IDP) has designed a suite of targeted livelihood interventions to improve the lives and livelihoods of char residents. To assess the impact of IDP interventions in the chars, the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) has developed a study using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) approach. This report presents the baseline survey’s key results, providing insight into the economic conditions, social status, access to essential services, and resilience and coping mechanisms of char residents.
Authors: Barua, Proloy; Islam, Md. Karimul; Ahmed, Md. Shakil; and Das, Narayan Chandra
Type: Baseline Report
Year: 2024
