Table 2. Socio-demographic characteristics of Gabura Union, Shyamnagar Upazila, Satkhira, Bangladesh

Socio-demographic factors Percentage (otherwise specified) Remarks
Livelihood options Fisheries 80 Most of the household members are involved in shrimp farming. Other fishery related activities are fishing, shrimp and fish marketing, boat making and repairing, net mending, etc.
Agriculture and other alternative livelihood activities 20 Other alternative livelihood activities are day labouring, driving, poultry and goat rearing, groceries and shop-keeping.
House Earthen 72 Earthen houses are generally made of low-quality materials such as mud and thatch.
Semi-concrete 18 Semi-concrete houses have either bricks, cement and iron made foundation or concrete made plinths. Walls and rooftops are generally made of tin, thatch or woods.
Concrete 10 Concrete houses are made of concrete, bricks, cement and iron.
Literacy rate (mean)1) 35.9 Mean literacy rate of male and female is 38.8% and 33.2% respectively.
School Primary and secondary Number: 14 Some of these schools are used as temporary cyclone shelters. A few of these buildings become very old and weak.
Market Number: 3 Most shops are made of mud and bamboo fence. Infrastructure is not well developed.
Road Unpaved or earthen road (44 km) 85 In rainy season, they often become muddy, slippery and waterlogged and in the dry season, they become dusty, dirty and ditch.
Brick pavement road (8 km) 15 Brick pavement or soling road often gets broken.
Medical facilities Community and satellite clinic Number: 12 Lack of skilled doctors, inadequate manpower, insufficient urgent medical instruments and medicines, etc.
Sanitation facilities Hygienic latrine 22 Hygienic latrines include both pit latrines and poured flush water seal toilets. Usually, 3-4 households’ members are using one toilet.
Unhygienic latrine 60 Unhygienic latrines are generally set beside ponds and rivers. As a result, feces contaminate the surrounding water and deteriorate the environmental condition.
No latrine 18 Those households’ members who do not have any toilet defecate on the open place. Female household members are the worst victim of these circumstances.
Drinking water facilities Deep tube-well 95 Most people use deep tube-well water for drinking. However, they use river waters for bathing, washing clothes and utensils, etc.
Pond Sand Filter (PSF) 23 PSF was introduced in the community with the help of few non-governmental organizations. However, the number of PSF is not adequate to provide safe water for most of the people.
Electricity facilities Grid lines 0 No grid electricity is available in the union.
Solar panel 100 Solar panels are used in all households.
Cyclone shelter Number: 3 Insufficient in number, shortage of space, male and female members of different households stay tightly sharing common place. In this circumstances, female household members feel insecure in the cyclone shelters and as a result, they show reluctance to come in cyclone shelters during any disaster.
Adapted from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS, 2014) with permission of Author.
Adapted from Gabura Union Parishad (2019) with permission of Author.