GovTwin / Institution

Jaldhaka (Nilphamari)

Local Gov

An eastern upazila of Nilphamari on the Jaldhaka river and Teesta floodplain, with paddy and maize farming and seasonal farm labour.

Wealth rank 130/452 (1 = poorest upazila)

Indicators: Meta RWI (HDX); ERA5-Land; MODIS; Sentinel-5P; VIIRS night-lights; GHSL; Hansen v1.11; CHIRPS v2.0. Exposure: GloFAS v2.1, FABDEM, MODIS LST, ACAG PM2.5, WorldPop 2020.

Problems and issues

poverty A mean Relative Wealth Index of -0.164 places Jaldhaka in the poorer third decile of upazilas, reflecting a low rural household asset base. So what: Thin assets leave farm-labour households exposed during the lean season. Source: Meta Data for Good Relative Wealth Index (HDX)
climate disaster On the Teesta and Jaldhaka floodplain, the upazila faces monsoon flooding and flash floods upstream of and around the Teesta Barrage command area. So what: Flooding damages crops, homes and embankments along the river. Source: Bangladesh Water Development Board
economy Nearly stagnant district economic activity leaves few wage opportunities for the upazila's farm-surplus labour. So what: Limited off-farm work keeps incomes low and seasonal. Source: Department of Youth Development

Probable solutions

Improve Teesta Barrage command-area drainage and embankment upkeep and coordinate cross-border flood early-warning for the Teesta Responsible: Bangladesh Water Development Board · policy proposal
Continue social-protection and seasonal cash-for-work coverage targeted at landless households during the lean season Responsible: Department of Disaster Management / Department of Social Services · policy proposal