Browsing by Author "Halder, Shantana R"

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BRAC's achievements in generating employment in Jhikargacha RDP area: a quantitative study
(BRAC, 1995-04) Halder, Shantana R
By involving the rural poor in different BRAC financed activities, BRAC achieves its one of the main objectives - to generate new employment, mostly self-employment among the women folk. This study in Jhikargacha BRAC RDP area in Jessore district draws upon data collected from 350 programme participants, purposively selected to represent 6816 study population, who were directly or indirectly involved in major BRAC economic activities in sericulture, poultry, livestock, fisheries, agriculture, and health programme and created new paid and non-paid self-employment.
Changing food consumption patterns: implications for nutrition and livelihoods
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003-09) Halder, Shantana R; Urey, Ian
This report presents a review results on the trends and patterns in food intake and nutritional status of the poor rural and urban households of Bangladesh during the period 1991-2000. It then looks at the socio-economic changes that have occurred during the last decade that have affected the food consumption pattern and the development of the food system. The 1990s was marked by a substantial increase in food production, however, the country is yet to achieve desired nutritional levels. The 1990s also saw substantial economic growth, with an associated decline in the incidence of both absolute poverty and extreme poverty. Parallel with food production and economic growth, poverty reduction, Bangladesh achieved notable reductions in child malnutrition rates during the nineties although percentage of malnourished children of the poor families was over 60%. Thus poor households, rural and urban alike, did not benefit proportionately from increased food production and the economic growth that the country achieved during the nineties. In 2000 the food intake of the poor was as low and imbalanced as it was in 1991. With the changes in food production and consumption, the total food system in Bangladesh is also changing. The growth of urban middle-income groups due to economic growth has created the demand for higher value products such as livestock products, fruits and vegetables. Increasing urbanisation and industrialisation has also encouraged market expansion for food products and increased market dependence for certain households. Transport infrastructure improved in the last decade. A more integrated food transportation network has developed which have increased the length of supply chains and the volume of food supplied. The integration of Bangladesh with the global economy expanded both the legal and illegal trade which have implications on the availability of food produce, dietary diversity, price stabilisation, and employment opportunities in the expanding sector.
Dairy production, consumption and marketing in Bangladesh
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003-09) Halder, Shantana R; Barua, Proloy
This study was a part of RED-Imperial College joint research, conducted in July 2003. The broad objective of this study is to review the existing milk production, consumption and marketing situation in Bangladesh and to develop policy issues on improvement of milk marketing. It is revealed that milk production in the country has been increasing but not sufficiently to meet the large demand. Like production, per capita consumption has also increased but its level across the country is still very low. Worryingly milk is another product where consumption appears to be declining for the poor as middle/upper income urban markets capture the available milk supply. The increase in collection networks both NGO and private have encouraged increased production but this has not increased consumption at the local level. In this case remoteness from markets can be an advantage nutritionally for poor producers, as they are likely to produce for home and neighbourhood consumption. Yet producers with good market access fail to fully benefit from the high urban demand, as the intermediaries capture the high margins. The most vulnerable to declining milk consumption are market dependent poor groups, the landless rural poor and slum dwellers. The urban market for processed and packaged milk products, though still very small, is expanding rapidly. Collection and distribution networks, together with chilling centres and refrigerated transport infrastructure are developing under private sector and NGO control. These provide hygienic, high quality products, whilst also providing a range of employment opportunities throughout the sector. If development could proceed so that further employment was generated whilst expanding availability to a wider range of consumers this could be a positive development.
Flood '98 and BRAC - a case study on three slums in Dhanmandi area of Dhaka city
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1998-10) Rashid, Sabina; Halder, Shantana R
This study is on Kathal Bagan, Bou Bazaar and Hazaribagh slums in Dhanmondi Area in Dhaka city of Bangladesh. It describes mainly the suffetings of the slum dwellers during floods, their coping strategy, the extent of damages caused by floods and BRAC's action on relief for them. In Kathal Bagan majority slum dwellers relocated to other places since this slum was 3-4 feet under water for t\lilo months. Those who did not leave in all three slums raised their beds with breaks. Some of them moved to the top of the roof of their house. Majority of slum dwellers lived in the rented houses. They mainly lost their personal goods. All of them had to cut their expenditure by cutting three to one rice meal a day due to loss of income, employment and increase in the price of food items and other necessities. Although they were suffering from hygiene and sanitation problems but everybody drank safe water. BRAC is the only organization from whom they got food, water purification tablets, health and other supports. With great difficulties they all managed to pay back the loan and savings installments.
Knowledge, attitude and perceptions of Bangladesh civil society on rice biotechnology research
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003-10) Husain, A.M. Muazzam; Bose, Manik L.; Hossain, Mahabub; Barua, Proloy; Halder, Shantana R
Patterns and trends in food consumption in poor urban and rural households in Bangladesh: cluster analysis of household survey data
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003-09) Halder, Shantana R; Urey, Ian
Objectives: To identify groups within rural and urban Bangladesh demonstrating similar socio-economic characteristics and food consumption patterns. Design: A household survey was conducted in a variety of locations m Dhaka Division to collect information from rural, and urban household. Cluster analysis was then used to group the households. Setting: Dhaka Division Results: The analysis highlighted 5 clusters. Cluster I is categorised as an urban lifestyle group, with a mixed poverty profile and a transforming consumption pattern. Cluster 2 is the rural rich also experiencing a transforming consumption pattern. Cluster 3 IS the poor with a traditional consumption pattern that appears to be deteriorating in balance. Cluster 6 is the rural less poor group with a traditional consumption pattern. Cluster 5 is comprised of poor female-headed households with a traditional consumption pattern, excluded by poverty and status from any dietary transition. Conclusions: Household exhibiting a transition in food consumption towards market sourced, packaged, and new food items tend to be either urban in nature or from households classified as rich/surplus. Not only is the diet of the poor not diversifying into these "new food items" but also the diversity of food from traditional sources is declining, with an increased reliance on rice and very low expenditure on high protein food items. There is a distinct dietary pattern for slum dwellers, but female-headed households do share this pattern and appear to be excluded from any transition by poverty and cultural barriers.
Patterns and trends in food consumption in poor urban and rural households in Bangladesh: the field survey results
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003-09) Halder, Shantana R; Urey, Ian; Barua, Proloy
Poverty outreach and BRAC’s microfinance interventions programme impact and sustainability
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003) Halder, Shantana R
This paper is based on the experience and evolution of a large microfinance provider BRAC - which is working in Bangladesh. The paper stresses that poverty is not homogeneous, but is manifested in different ways and in different contexts. It considers BRAC's response to this broader understanding of poverty in Bangladesh, referring particularly to the ways in which specific programmes were tailored and adapted to embrace new information about client needs and behaviour. The study goes on to discuss impact assessment studies conducted on BRAC's main poverty alleviation programme in rural areas - Rural Development Programme - that provided significant data to substantiate BRAC's positive effect on poverty alleviation, as well as providing information that led to subsequent programmatic shills in emphasis.
Poverty outreach and BRAC’s microfinance interventions: programme impact and sustainability
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003) Halder, Shantana R
This paper is based on the experience and evolution of a large microfinance provider BRAC - which is working in Bangladesh. The paper stresses that poverty is not homogeneous, but is manifested in different ways and in different contexts. It considers BRAC's response to this broader understanding of poverty in Bangladesh, referring particularly to the ways in which specific programmes were tailored and adapted to embrace new information about client needs and behaviour. The study goes on to discuss impact assessment studies conducted on BRAC's main poverty alleviation programme in rural areas - Rural Development Programme - that provided significant data to substantiate BRAC's positive effect on poverty alleviation, as well as providing information that led to subsequent programmatic shills in emphasis.
Reducing the health effect of natural hazards in Bangladesh
(© 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc., 2013-11) Rahman, Mohammad Aminur; Mallick, Fuad Hassan; Cash, Richard A; Halder, Shantana R; Husain, Mushtuq; Islam, Md Sirajul; May, Maria A; Rahman, Mahmudur
Bangladesh, with a population of 151 million people, is a country that is particularly prone to natural disasters: 26% of the population are affected by cyclones and 70% live in flood-prone regions. Mortality and morbidity from these events have fallen substantially in the past 50 years, partly because of improvements in disaster management. Thousands of cyclone shelters have been built and government and civil society have mobilised strategies to provide early warning and respond quickly. Increasingly, flood and cyclone interventions have leveraged community resilience, and general activities for poverty reduction have integrated disaster management. Furthermore, overall population health has improved greatly on the basis of successful public health activities, which has helped to mitigate the effect of natural disasters. Challenges to the maintenance and reduction of the effect of cyclones and floods include rapid urbanisation and the growing effect of global warming. Although the effects of earthquakes are unknown, some efforts to prepare for this type of event are underway. This is the fifth in a Series of six papers about innovation for universal health coverage in Bangladesh
Reducing the health effect of natural hazards in Bangladesh
(© 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc., 2013-11) Rahman, Mohammad Aminur; Mallick, Fuad Hassan; Cash, Richard A; Halder, Shantana R; Husain, Mushtuq; Islam, Md Sirajul; May, Maria A; Rahman, Mahmudur
Bangladesh, with a population of 151 million people, is a country that is particularly prone to natural disasters: 26% of the population are affected by cyclones and 70% live in flood-prone regions. Mortality and morbidity from these events have fallen substantially in the past 50 years, partly because of improvements in disaster management. Thousands of cyclone shelters have been built and government and civil society have mobilised strategies to provide early warning and respond quickly. Increasingly, flood and cyclone interventions have leveraged community resilience, and general activities for poverty reduction have integrated disaster management. Furthermore, overall population health has improved greatly on the basis of successful public health activities, which has helped to mitigate the effect of natural disasters. Challenges to the maintenance and reduction of the effect of cyclones and floods include rapid urbanisation and the growing effect of global warming. Although the effects of earthquakes are unknown, some efforts to prepare for this type of event are underway. This is the fifth in a Series of six papers about innovation for universal health coverage in Bangladesh
Verification and refinement of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI): 1st year trial monitoring report of BRAC sub-project areas
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003-12) Husain, A.M. Muazzam; Barua, Proloy; Halder, Shantana R
We conducted SRI trial in two Upazilas of Noakhali district. The farmers practiced both SRI and conventional cultivation at a time to compare the results regarding production cost, yield and net return. Farmers applied less chemical fertilizers in SRI plots compared to conventional plots, which is expected. They did not use pesticides but adopted IPM cultural method for both practices indicating no attack of pests. Per hectare irrigation cost was more or less same for both practices though it was supposed to be less for SRI method. Water supplier might have counted frequency instead of water volume or there might have been system loss of water in SRI plots. SRI farmers drastically saved seed cost (67%) compared to conventional farmers. Famers weeded their conventional plot by hand while they used hand and also could use the rotary weeder for SRI plot due to wider spacing. It permitted soil aeration, better root development, more effective tiller and more panicle, which ultimately increase the yield in SRI method. During the last Boro season (2002-03) SRI farmers got 43% more yield than conventional one. Yield of straw was 39% higher in SRI compare to traditional method. Per hectare production cost in SRI was 9% less than conventional method. So higher yield and lower cost of production in SRI increased their net return to around 103% over that of traditional practice. Benefit - cost ratio was 2.87 and 1.84 for SRl and conventional method respectively.