Provincial Food Security Profiles

Distribution of HHs based on Socioeconomic Status by WFP Priority Zone

• The Northwest region of Bangladesh is a slightly sloped plain at the foot of the Himalayan mountain range.  It is bound in the east by the Jamuna river. The other main river is the Teesta, which crosses the area in the north. The Northwest is a food surplus production area, where agriculture is the principal source of employment. Despite this, a large percentage of the population remains food insecure.  This is primarily the outcome of poor food access resulting from unequal land distribution, low agricultural wages, and the impact of natural disasters.
• The Northern Chars are unstable lands concentrated around the Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers.   These are very marginal lands, characterized by high levels of flooding, erosion and instability. The population, of just less than two million people, is highly food insecure. Moreover, the inhabitants are particularly vulnerable as the erosion of the land forces them to move on a regular basis.   The soil is not very good for cultivation, there is very limited access to infrastructure and services, and the people are constantly susceptible to food shortages and natural disasters.
• The Drought zone is concentrated in the westernmost parts of Nawabjanj, Rajshahi and Noagaon districts, just north of the Padma River.  The weather in this part of the country tends to be extremely hot in the summer and it experiences a relatively long dry season, both of which contribute to poor crop production.
• The Haor is a low-lying area that is under water for nearly half of the year.  Although some crops are grown during the winter season, most of the agricultural fields and much of the road network is submerged from May to October. The population is scattered; the inhabitants live on small patches of raised land in the midst of waterlogged fields.  They have limited access to infrastructure and services, including schools, health facilities and markets. This area is an active delta, where the lower Meghna empties into the Bay of Bengal.  The region includes a number of both small and large islands, as well as char lands.
• The Coastal belt was the former granary of Bangladesh, however the area has suffered river erosion, salinity, repeated natural disasters, and out-migration.  The remaining population is highly food insecure and isolated from reliable communication and transportation systems.  The poor infrastructure and relatively low concentration of service providers has made it difficult for the population to access basic facilities.
• The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is a hilly, forested area in southeast Bangladesh that is distinct from the rest of the country.  Its demographics include some 12 different tribal groups alongside non-tribal population.  Following more than two decades of politically motivated armed conflict, a peace agreement was signed in 1997, which is still under implementation.  The region, therefore, continues to be characterised by chronic insecurity and instability with a large number of internally displaced people in need of resettlement. Much of the population is located in very remote areas, making access to basic services difficult.  Additionally, although most people in the area are agricultural labourers, the lack of access to cultivable land means very low food production, which has a great impact on household food security.