Sandbar cropping in Bangladesh

Floods in Bangladesh don't just destroy homes, villages and lives when they arrive - they also leave a crippling legacy when the waters subside. The ‘char’ – the silted sand plains that the floods leave behind – are too infertile for even the most skilled farmer to tend.

Since 2005, Practical Action's the `Disappearing lands: supporting communities affected by the river erosion' project has been promoting an innovative cropping technology which is benefitting the landless poor in Gaibandha district of northern Bangladesh. The barren sandy river beds are now producing thousands of pumkins with this simple technology creating an avenue to utilise unused resources for the benefit of poor.

The innovation has drawn the attention of national and international development communities including the media. This report was broadcasted on the Channel I, a popular TV channel in Bangladesh, on 27 March 2009.

http://practicalaction.org/food-production/sandbar_cropping