Response to floods here indicates planned attempts at reducing or minimizing their devastating impact. The responses vary according to the intensity of the floods. The responses in general can be divided into three major areas of activity; Structural -- those activities or practices intended to reduce damage to dwelling structures and household goods, Agricultural -- activities carried out for reducing and/or recovering crops and agricultural losses, and Human Safety -- measures taken to gear up safety of the people.

Structural Adjustment Structural adjustments are not necessary every year, as these adjustments can work for several years and depend on whether it is a borsha or a bonna. At the initial stage measures are taken against barsha, a low level inundation, and when the situation gets worse, adjustment to bonna is called for.

The bhiti in the char-lands is usually made of muddy earth and is most vulnerable to rain water, as it is composed mostly of sandy soil. The basic foundation of a house is the bhiti (plinth). It saves the dwelling units from the possible intrusion of rain waters. It also keeps the room relatively dry, particularly during the monsoon.

Repairing of bhitis can be done with minimum effort and expense. During the floods, the bhiti is usually plastered with a paste made of mud, jute fibre and tush (husks). It protects the plinth from the direct impact of rain drops. During bonna, protection of the plinth is a bit difficult and is done in a different way. Usually short bamboo stake are placed at regular intervals along the plinth and put between the bhiti and the bamboo, so that running water cannot hit the plinth directly and thus erosion is minimized. However, such efforts fail if the current of the flood waters is high. Generally, a strong current sweep everything away.

During borsha these walls protect the house from rains and incoming sands. When borsha turns to bonna, and depending on the current, these side walls are taken off to reduce the threat of collapse of the main structure. The SIDE WALLS of the poorer households are generally made of bamboo. Rich farmers use corrugated iron sheets.

Repairs to houses by rethatching the straw roofs and changing the main pillars which help the main structure to stand against rains, flooding and cyclones, are not carried out every year. Regularly structural adjustment to floods in disaster prone areas are to strengthen the bamboo poles supporting the house by tying ropes around and linking the main joints. Additional thekas (bamboo poles set diagonally to support the dwelling units) are also provided. Thekas are commonly used to support the main weight- bearing poles.

Agricultural Copings Agricultural adjustments refer to the measures taken to protect and grow crops in the field. Taking care of domestic animals is also included. Adjustments with respect to crops may broadly be classified into two types; a)before flooding; measures for saving standing crops in the field and keeping domestic animals from harm’s way, measures for saving standing crops in the field and keeping domestic animals from harm’s way, Partly sub-merged rice fields

b)after flooding; measures that help to initiate agricultural activities as early as possible.

CategoriesBefore FloodingAfter Flooding Crops-- Bamboo fences around fields-- Interculture of crops -- Pulling water hyacinth away from crop fields Animals Chicken / Ducks-- Keeping the minimum and the-- Remaining chickens/ducks rest are sold out or shifted to are sold out for cash needs safer places Cows / Goats-- Sold out or shifted to safer-- Sold out for cash needs, places Hiring of animals for cultivation

Human Safety The most commonly practiced adjustment for human safety is the construction of machans inside the house. The machan is built above the height of water in the house. Initially, choukis are raised higher by placing something under the legs to keep the beddings other belongings above water level.

The choukis are used as long as people can enter through the door. When it is difficult to go through the door, usually the false ceiling is used as machan. In that case one side of the roof is kept open and used as entrance.

Machans are made of assembling bamboo poles. As the water rises they keep raising the machan up to the level of the false ceiling. When the water level exceeds the false ceiling, the whole structure is dismantled and moved to a safer place.

Boats are a common mode of transport in rural Bangladesh during monsoon, but it is only the well-off farmers who own or can hire boats. The poor man's boat is the bhela (raft) made of banana trunks. The bhela is usually used by the children during barsha, but during bonna it is used only by the adults. A makeshift boat

Category During BarshaDuring Bonna Platform Machan with ChoukisMachan over pair. Banana trunk, use of hurricane lantern use of hurricane lantern Food Storing rice and dalStoring rice and dal, kerosene oil, fuel woodFemales move out with kerosene oil, fuel woodFemales move out with some cash in hand some cash in hand Mobility Looking for passing boatsHiring or buying boats

The well-off farmers usually split up their family, with the wife and children going to the home of the wife's parents or to some other relation’s house if they happen to live in a safer place. Only the younger members remain in the house to look after the property. If the situation gets worse, they then dismantle the structure and abandon the site.

When water continues to rise steadily, accompanied by copious rains, people very quickly decide to dismantle their homes and abandon the site. Apart from sheer physical reasons (e.g. very strong current, severe erosion etc.), people move out when they are no longer able to keep up their morale and get panicky in the face of flood havoc particularly when they see their next door neighbours abandoning their hearths. That’s all folks

Assignment With reference to Jamuna river suggest potential mitigation measures against flooding and erosion. Submission May 10, 2014