The impact of Covid-19 on the poorest - Research Paper 1: Bangladesh

Concern is conducting research in our programme countries to ascertain the impacts the Covid-19 pandemic is having on the world's poorest people. This page will be updated regularly with a series of research reports from Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Somalia.

For this research, Concern has interviewed households, mainly by phone, in order to understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and government responses to it, on people's health, livelihoods, and coping strategies. Households will be interviewed at approximately two-week intervals to monitor how this is changing over time.

The reports also outline what Concern is doing in each context to respond to the situation and mitigate the negative affects on the people affected by it.

Research paper 1: Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, the first three known cases of Covid-19 were reported on 8 March 2020. On 22 March, a 10-day shutdown effective from the 26th of the month was declared. Subsequently the government asked the army to enforce social distancing strictly, with teams of soldiers deployed across the country, leaving the streets empty in the capital Dhaka and most roadside shops closed. As of 18 June, there were 98,489 reported cases (with 26,853 recorded in Dhaka and 3,809 in Chattogram).

Bangladesh exemplifies the triple blow that many countries have suffered from Covid-19:

• domestic slowdown caused by the disease and the efforts to contain its spread;
• a sharp decline in exports, and
• a drop in remittances

In this brief, we report on the experiences of a number of people in Dhaka and Chattogram on the impact of the pandemic and the subsequent response. All are currently included on Concern Worldwide’s Improving the Lives of the Urban Extreme Poor (ILUEP) livelihood programme which is funded by Irish Aid.

Concern is conducting research in our programme countries to ascertain the impacts the Covid-19 pandemic is having on the world's poorest people. This page will be updated regularly with a series of research reports from Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Somalia.

For this research, Concern has interviewed households, mainly by phone, in order to understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and government responses to it, on people's health, livelihoods, and coping strategies. Households will be interviewed at approximately two-week intervals to monitor how this is changing over time.

The reports also outline what Concern is doing in each context to respond to the situation and mitigate the negative affects on the people affected by it.

This research has been supported by several donors including the Irish Government and the European Union. All opinions expressed are those of the authors. The views expressed herein should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of the Irish Government or the European Union.

https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Covid%2019%20Impact%20Paper%201%20-%20Bangladesh%20Final.pdf

The labour market implications of COVID-19 for Bangladeshi women

With the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Bangladesh on 8 March 2020 and the initiation of a lockdown on 26 March 2020,1 the livelihoods of a significant number of people were under serious threat — with women most likely to suffer the worst impacts for a variety of reasons.

First, women constitute a significant percentage of frontline workers. They made up 90.5% of Bangladeshi nursing professionals in 2017. Multiple studies are finding that women face more domestic violence during lockdowns, thereby suffering from increased physical and mental traumas. Lockdowns are also associated with an increase in the already high burden of care work that women carry, especially likely given the patriarchal social structures in Bangladesh. Finally, women are often in inferior positions in the labour market, relative others, and therefore more likely to be impacted by the economic fallout.2

Pandemic and the labour market impacts on women

In this blog we focus on the labour market impacts of COVID-19 on women in Bangladesh. Despite raising female labour force participation (FLFP) from 8% in the 1980s to 36.3% by 2017, Bangladesh has not seen a real improvement in the percentage of women working for at least a decade, with the indicator stagnating at around 36%. Additionally, as many as 92% of women are in more precarious informal employment and around 29% are occupied in unpaid family work.

A direct effect of the lockdown is likely an increase in the burden of unpaid household and care labour, especially for those with children or elderly relatives at home. Many women in Bangladesh already spend as much as 6.2 hours per day in unpaid domestic work. As the lockdown extends, and with the added stress from school closures and decreased access to childcare centers, many women might be compelled to withdraw from the labour market altogether. Such withdrawals, often supposed to be temporary, can easily become permanent. Evidence from the aftermath of the Ebola pandemic confirms that there is a gendered effect in recovery to pre-pandemic levels of employment and income.

Considering the supply side of the labour market, there can be two opposing effects. The ‘discouraged worker effect’ as jobs become more difficult to secure, might be stronger for female workers than for male workers. As a consequence, we might observe a drop in the FLFP rate. On the other hand, the ‘added worker effect’ whereby women enter the labour market to support falling household income might also be observed.

Bigger effects from the demand side of the labour market

But it is the demand side that is likely to play the bigger role, with the direct impact of an employment contraction. Preliminary evidence highlights the high relative economic vulnerability of working women — both informal and formal sectors have reported reduced working hours for women, with the rate being six times higher for women than for men in the formal sector. In the longer term, the shock might compel some households to withdraw their children from education. For girls, this can lead to increases in child marriage thereby reducing lifelong educational attainment and participation in the labour market.

Concerns about the Fourth Industrial Revolution cannot be overemphasized

Indirectly, with the increased importance of social distancing, we might observe a leap-frog effect in which developing countries pass over job creation in skilled manufacturing and move directly to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) production processes of more advanced economies. For example, we might observe jobs in ready-made garments (RMG) factories being replaced with automation.

Research has shown that women are hit more strongly than their male counterparts when firms innovate production processes. The likelihood of job losses for women accompanying 4IR adoption cannot be overemphasized. Considering the near certainty of a global recession, the RMG sector, which is comprised of more than 60% women, will be affected regardless. An opposing view of this for Bangladesh is the possibility that employers will prefer female workers over their male counterparts due to lower rates of infection among women.

Policy responses

The actual effects and their magnitude depend on the severity and length of the pandemic alongside the responsiveness of the labour market. In this context, the effectiveness of government policy will be a crucial determinant.

In order to stimulate increased FLFP, the government must prioritize the welfare of workers and adopt effective labour market policies that discourage disemployment in particular. Incentive packages to large-scale industries could be directed to that end. Policies should both stimulate private investment and incentivize small- and medium-scale enterprises.

The government has already announced some incentive packages in the form of loans — here, specific allocations should be made to small-scale female entrepreneurs. In order to identify these entrepreneurs, as many lack necessary documentation, a few steps can be taken, such as the introduction of a self-claim system, group-based lending, relaxation of formal documentation, and tax rebates. The provision of loans with flexible terms and reduced interest rates for female entrepreneurs can be useful.

In order to protect the low-skilled female workers especially and to mitigate the labour market impacts of 4IR adoption, gender-friendly training facilities should be encouraged to assist in upgrading the skill content of women workers. This will not bear fruitful results, however, unless complemented by adequate job creation. In this context, the problem of a skills mismatch must be given greater attention.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute or the United Nations University, nor the programme/project donors.

https://www.wider.unu.edu/publication/labour-market-implications-covid-19-bangladeshi-women

Call for new skills to meet post-Covid needs

Speakers in a webinar on Saturday suggested the authorities concerned act fast to develop new skill sets among the workforce to tap potential investment in the post-COVID era.

As countries like the USA and Japan have planned industrial relocation from China, they said, it is high time Bangladesh expedited talks with those countries and interested investors.

A special database of the returned migrants is required to utilise them as per skill sets in the local industry and re-skill them for the post-COVID overseas market.

 

The speakers made the observations at the webinar styled 'Post-COVID-19 Bangladesh Industry Readiness: Investment and Skills' hosted by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).

Deputy minister of education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury addressed the programme as the chief guest with DCCI president Shams Mahmud in the chair.

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority executive chairman Md Sirazul Islam were present as the special guest and Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training director (training) Md Sakawat Ali as the guest of honour.

At the event, Mr Chowdhury said inter-ministerial coordination is needed to train and educate the country's workforce as per the needs of the industry.

Pointing to a poor linkage between industry and academia, he said graduates are not ready to meet the industry's demand for a lack of modern curriculum and socio-cultural perspective of technical jobs.

"Our graduates do physical jobs while going abroad for higher education but don't engage in such profession in Bangladesh for a socio-cultural attitude towards the type of employment."

As the skill sets of graduates and middle-aged to older workforce mismatch the demand, the government has lifted age barrier to take in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), he said.

Mr Chowdhury said over 2.8-million students are enrolled with National University where many subjects taught have no applicability today as fourth industrial revolution is knocking at the door.

The rate of TVET here has increased to 17 per cent from less than 1.0 per cent only 10 years ago, he mentioned.

Md Shahidul Alam, additional secretary of expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry, said some 2.2-million youths enter the job market every year. Of them, he disclosed, 0.7 to 0.8 million go abroad in search of employment.

Extra pressure will fall on the economy as new workers have not been able to go abroad, Mr Alam cited.

Again, many expatriates are returning home as their host countries cut jobs as a fallout of the pandemic.

Emphasising coordination among ministries of expatriates' welfare, education and foreign affairs, he said finding new markets and modernising curricula are a must to tackle the post-pandemic challenges.

DCCI president Mr Mahmud said in the last 11 months, exports reduced by 18 per cent following a downtrend in global demand and supply chain disruptions.

These factors have created unemployment in the export-oriented industry, small and medium enterprise, and informal sector. In the meantime, private-sector investment came down to 12.72 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019-2020 fiscal after maintaining 22 to 23 per cent for the past six years.

However, Mr Mahmud noted that sectors like health, e-commerce and agriculture have generated employment in the changed reality of the pandemic.

Bangladesh will enjoy demographic dividend with its 63.5-million workforce who will give it a competitive edge for investment relocation from China by the USA and Japan, he said.

Mr Mahmud told the webinar that the Dhaka chamber is set to establish its own research and innovation department to understand the needs of industry and link it with academia.

DCCI vice-presidents Mohammad Bashirullah and NKA Mobin, and Bangladesh-Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Akber Al Hakim also spoke.

ahb_mcj2009@yahoo.com

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/call-for-new-skills-to-meet-post-covid-needs-1593923276

OP- ED: Vision of post-Covid-19 Bangladesh and artificial intelligence

Winston Churchill said it rightly -- 'The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.'

The global economy is now under threat due to the disruption to internal and international movement caused by the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. 

Many people have already become jobless owing to the pandemic. Many businesses have been hit hard as well. Apart from educational institutions, garment industries, banks, privately owned institutions, and the agriculture industry, there is a hint of economic recession in almost all sectors. But we should not lose our morale, as we know where there are problems, there are possibilities too. Winston Churchill said it rightly -- "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Putting our trust in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we do believe "the cloud will move away" soon. However, the role of modern technology, internet of things (IOT), and artificial intelligence is a must to help the country achieve economic prosperity after the post-coronavirus situation for overcoming the economic downturn. During the outbreak of the pandemic, we were forced to think about two things -- food and treatment. As people are facing recession in almost every sector now, it is important for us to focus on how to deal with the post-Covid-19 economic downturn based on the development of sectors like agriculture, health, and manufacturing modern machinery or parts. 

Bangladesh is an agricultural country and a significant portion of its total income comes from the sector, which contributes 14.10% to GDP (gross domestic product). According to the World Bank report, Bangladesh has a cultivable land of 20,157,000 acres. About 80% of the people of the country are dependent on agriculture. And so, it will be possible to ensure economic growth in the country by developing the field of agriculture. In this case, using artificial intelligence can bring unprecedented success and such major examples are China, Japan, USA, and many other developed countries. Observing their agricultural system it can be understood how much they have been able to increase the productivity of agriculture at a relatively low cost through the use of technology.

First of all, let us know how the developed countries have been able to make agricultural work easier and more productive by making robots and various devices using artificial intelligence.

China is currently using drones that carry pots of pesticides to spray it on croplands. The drone is operated by a farmer using a remote control. The process increases productivity on the one hand, the work of spraying pesticide is being done relatively quickly on the other hand. In China, using a drone, pesticides can be sprayed on 6.7 hectares of land in a day, whereas three farmers can spray pesticides not more than 1.33 hectares over the same period. The use of drones can make easy the process of spraying pesticides and reduce the cost as well. Besides, these drones have special sensitivities, which make them able to easily identify insect-infested crops and plants, and thus apply pesticides accordingly.

Apart from pesticides, in the developed countries, digging in the croplands, seed planting, and harvesting are done by using machines and there are various types of tractors and cars, which are specially made to perform different tasks. Using those, it is possible to cut tons of crops by completely separating it from the plants and wrap those in a special wrapper. On the other hand, when the crop is grown in the traditional way, it takes a long time to harvest the crops, store it, and then separate those from the plants. Relatively, the process requires more labour force while it takes less manpower to grow crops with these machines. Driving a tractor, a farmer can perform the work of sowing or harvesting smoothly. With these devices it is possible to complete the work in a very short time.

At present, internet of things (IOT) is playing an important role to increase productivity in croplands at a low cost, which has changed the traditional method of cultivation. Smart farming and smart agriculture is a hi-tech system based on modern technology that produces clean and healthy food for people, saving time and capital. The system refers to the use of modern ICT (information and communication technology) and IOT technology in agriculture. The IOT applications in agriculture include tracking of farm vehicles, monitoring of livestock and warehouse, and many more. In many developed countries, wireless IOT application is being used for monitoring livestock which helps to identify sick animals so that they can be separated from others. In this way, the spread of the disease can be prevented. This reduces labour cost helping pastoralists identify the location of their cattle. In addition, the use of IOT applications in determining quality of plant and soil, moderate irrigation and fertilizer, meteorological reporting and others help bumper yield in agriculture, saving time and labour. In the IOT-based smart farming, farmers can monitor their lands from anywhere. In comparison with the conventional method, the IOT-based smart farming is highly effective.

Meanwhile, vertical farming has gained a lot of popularity in different countries of the world. The method makes it possible to grow crops on a small land in a controlled environment. Currently, the amount of cultivable land in Bangladesh is decreasing and particularly in urban areas, cultivation work seems to be very difficult. In such circumstances, even within the four walls, it is possible to grow nutritious crops in a controlled environment through a suitable combination of artificial heat, moderate carbon dioxide, water, and various materials.

In China, robots are used to test whether the environment of greenhouses or indoor farms are suitable for farming or not and necessary steps are taken based on the test reports. It is also possible to grow good quality crops and vegetables without any soil and by dipping the roots of the plants in a mixture of nutrients. The process of the cultivation is called hydroponics. Various crops are grown in specially sensitive trays, which are spread in rows from soil to roof. Any crop can be cultivated in any season in such a controlled environment, so that people can consume a lot of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. There are many farms built in the shape of big buildings and even older buildings are turned into farms. 

By cultivating in this way, it is possible to achieve a huge success in the agricultural sector in our country. The level of production will increase many times and the poor will be able to consume nutritious food at a low cost. Additional agricultural products can also be exported to other countries. Besides, it is possible to provide employment to many people, which will be able to move the wheel of the economy upwards.

Now, let's take a look at processed foods. In our country, we see bumper production of many crops at various times. In this case, for example, potatoes rot during the potato season while at the end of the season people have to purchase those at a higher price. It cannot be exported as well. 

And so it is possible to manufacture various food items made of fruits and vegetables through artificial intelligence and sophisticated equipment by controlling quality in a particular process to meet the needs of the local people and export them abroad. As a result, it is possible to consume and store all kinds of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. We can earn a lot of foreign currency by making and exporting quality tomato sauce, various fruit juices, pickles, etc using modern technology.

Many countries produce canned food. They process fish and meat, preserve those in metal containers, and supply to consumers. These canned foods can be stored for many days and are especially needed in disaster-prone areas, where there is a great need for dry food. Bangladesh experiences various natural calamities every year and cyclone Amphan is its latest example. Considering the fact that, if such nutritious canned food is produced and marketed, it will be possible to meet the domestic demand as well as earn foreign exchange.

We understand very well what improvements need to be made in the field of medical science during this Covid-19 pandemic.

At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, there was a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for which doctors were unable to provide treatment to patients. Also, lack of test kits at the time led to only a handful of people being able to get tested for the virus. As a result, it was difficult to identify Covid-19 positive patients and the situation was impossible to control.

Later, Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) authorities invented a testing kit, although it took some time for them to make it. Then came the inability to quickly invent a vaccine. Not only our country, the whole world is trying to find a vaccine for Covid-19, but no vaccine has reached people yet. 

People are dying due to an inadequate number of Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

The solution to all these things is to bring about a radical change in medical science through the research and management of up-to-date medical science through the artificial intelligence (AI) that exists in modern technology.

If the new generation of the country is given the necessary research and training opportunities, it will be possible to make sophisticated equipment in the country, which will play a big role in the development of the medical field.

It costs crores of taka every year to import these equipment. However, using the talents of the country, it is possible to make these sophisticated machines at a relatively low cost. With this, it is possible to make the necessary antidotes for various diseases and to export them to take the country's economy forward on the path of prosperity.

This catastrophic time in this coronavirus pandemic proves how much the country's medical sector needs to improve and prosper.

The light engineering sector is another important sector that can play an important role in enriching the economy of Bangladesh. After agriculture, light engineering can be another potential sector to move our economy forward.

Light engineering has brought a new dimension to the economy of Bangladesh. Like bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles, light engineering products were declared as “Product of the Year” 2020 at the Dhaka International Trade Fair by Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This sector has contributed 2.2% to the GDP in a short period of time and is widely used in garments and textiles in Bangladesh.

Eco-friendly disinfectant (bio-grade) polythene making machines had to be imported from countries like China, Taiwan, and Japan which cost Tk70 lakh to Tk1 crore. But the same machine is now being made in the country for only Tk22 lakh.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau, in the 2015-16 fiscal year, we earned US $510.06 million by exporting engineering products. Not only that, through light engineering, it is possible to reduce the import cost by about 50% only by manufacturing and repairing parts for industrial, agricultural, and repair work.

At present, it is possible to meet the demand for about 48% to 52% of the required parts in various fields. 

So if we improve in this case, it will be possible to make and repair many modern types of equipment in our country. As a result, there will be no need to import these instruments or parts from abroad thus, the expenditure in the import sector will be reduced.

At the same time, it will be possible to earn more foreign currency by making various instruments or parts and exporting them.

There is a huge potential to earn foreign exchange by exporting such machines to our neighbouring countries like India, Nepal, and Bhutan. In this case, the government, various universities, and light engineering manufacturing companies have to come forward together.

Prominent people think that light engineering can play a huge role in our agricultural country because, for modern mechanization of agriculture, we mostly depend on foreign machinery.

However, with the help of Bangladeshi agriculturists and officials of all these production oriented organizations, if the land based parts of Bangladesh can be made in our country. However, just as it is possible to rapidly modernize the country's agriculture on the one hand, on the other hand, modern agricultural equipment can be delivered to the farmers at low cost.

However, important quarters of the government are pledging to work in this sector with importance, so that after meeting the domestic demand for modern machinery used in agriculture, it can be exported.

There are already 40,000 light engineering manufacturing entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, where about 1 million people are working. If the number of light engineering companies increases, the employment of people will increase too and so as the technology sector of the country will expand.

Besides, if there are various training systems, people will be able to build their own organization. As a result, people will be able to create new instruments and parts, which will play a role in achieving excellence in various sectors.

Below are some suggestions on how to use AI in agriculture, medicine and light engineering, and economic development:

●    To improve, modernize and expand the quality of IT / ICT education in the country.

●    Sending students and teachers abroad for study and training in higher education. To arrange lessons and training with foreign skilled teachers if necessary.

●    To place more emphasis on technical education.

●    Ensuring a research education system that is effective for students and solving local problems and creating sensors, applications and software for smart agriculture.

●    Establishing cooperative relations with universities and industrial organizations.

●    To provide suitable training to the employees on the use of modern technology in the field of employment and to appoint experienced and qualified people in special fields.

●    Discovering modern medical instruments with special emphasis on biomedical engineering and changing instrument designs as needed

●    To provide research opportunities with engineering universities for the betterment of the light engineering sector.

●    Emphasis on discovering, inventing, and repairing various instruments in the country for use in different sectors

●    Arranging research for the use of modern technology for food processing and liaising industrial establishments and high-tech parks with specialized universities in zones / regions.

Covid-19 has ravaged the world like an invisible storm. Needless to say, the next world economic crisis will be the most severe.

In this Covid-19 crisis, when the world's major economies are worried about how to keep the wheel of their economy in motion, there is an immense potential for Bangladesh on the other hand.

We are hopeful that the trend of economic progress of the last decade will continue in Bangladesh under the leadership of the honourable prime minister.

British newspaper “The Economist” has also given such hopeful news for Bangladesh at this time of global stagnant economic crisis. According to the newspaper, the coronavirus epidemic situation also ranks Bangladesh ninth in the list of 66 countries with strong emerging economies and is even ahead of China.

In order to reduce the negative impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the economy of Bangladesh, emphasis should be laid on the innovation, manufacture, and repair of agricultural, medical, and modern machinery and equipment in Bangladesh.

The use of modern technology in agriculture and the processing of food can pave the way for meeting domestic demand and earning foreign exchange.

What is needed now is proper planning and implementation. It is recommended that the government and private organizations work together for this. Universities and teachers also have an important role to play in this.

To establish a “Sonar Bangla” which the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamt about, his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working on to make it a reality. She has given Vision 2021, 2030, 2041 and Delta Plan to establish a prosperous Bangladesh.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, a worthy grandson of Bangabandhu and the ICT adviser to the prime minister, is also working relentlessly to implement the vision.

On the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, let us be firmly convinced to establish Bangladesh as the happy, prosperous, and humane and advanced “Sonar Bangla” of Bangabandhu's dream by 2041.

The author is a professor, information technologist, member of University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC), and a director of Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL)

https://www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/2020/07/07/vision-of-post-covid-19-bangladesh-and-artificial-intelligence

How Dhaka's urban poor are dealing with COVID-19

COVID-19 presents not only a health crisis, but a food crisis for Dhaka’s poorest. Guest blogger John Taylor describes how urban poor communities have risen to the challenge. 

Guest blog by

John Taylor

1 July 2020

John Taylor is chief technical adviser for FAO Bangladesh

Dhaka’s urban poor communities protect themselves against the spread of COVID-19 by spraying sanitising liquids and wearing facemasks (Photo: copyright Saikat Mojumder)

This series of blogs focusing on the transition to a predominantly urban world was planned before COVID-19. This pandemic brings such a devastating current and future health and economic impact that it demands our attention and commitment to work together to overcome it. This blog comes from John Taylor, an urban planner managing FAO's Dhaka Food System project in Bangladesh. During the lockdown John kept up to speed on how urban poor communities across Dhaka were coping with the impacts of the virus – on food prices and food security – through text messages from a close-knit network of around 150 community reporters.

The streets of Dhaka, usually bustling with life and congested with cars, have been remarkably quiet. On 26 March, the government imposed a lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. All shops and factories were closed, all forms of transportation restricted. Only essential services continued to operate.

These measures to slow the spread of the virus have dealt the heaviest of blows to the city's poor, who depend on jobs in the garment factories, the daily wage labour market, and the informal economy to survive. Without work, and with little cash in hand or savings, urban poor families in Dhaka have struggled – not only to keep themselves virus-free in crowded and badly-serviced settlements, but to get enough to eat.

In the city's crowded informal settlements, home to workers from all over the country, public services are not easily accessible. In these dense, makeshift settlements, maintaining social distancing is almost impossible.

Communal water sources for hand washing are scarce. So too are health centres for learning how to keep safe from the virus. On top of all this, for nearly three months they have had to feed their families and manage household expenses without jobs or income.  

Dhaka's urban poor families have long been accustomed to adapting to temporary food and income shortages by eating less, but with significant consequences for health and nutrition, especially when eating less for a long time.

During the lockdown, poor families have reduced their diet to as little as one meal a day, and replaced more expensive, protein-rich foods like chicken, fish, and beef with cheaper staples such as lentils, potatoes and rice. To buy food, they have had to borrow, sell their belongings or draw from what savings they might have.

Other survival strategies have included changing jobs to be mobile food vendors (permitted because they are considered essential services) or breaking lockdown rules, going out as rogue rickshaw drivers. 

The mother of two children in the Agargaon slum cooks potatoes, lentils, and rice for six family members. She lost her domestic helper job and has been using her savings to feed her family. (Photo: copyright Saikat Mojumder)

The urban poor have displayed great kindness and support to their neighbours, friends and family during lockdown: sharing food, distributing food assistance packages, and lending money. With no real social safety net and an inadequate government response, these spontaneous and organised acts of mutual aid have been a lifeline for those hit hardest.   

Community-level responses

Organised community-level responses to the crisis have helped ensure the health and safety of the most vulnerable. Through their leadership and initiative, community-based organisations of informal settlement dwellers have served as mediators, helping to evenly distribute aid and food assistance, organise virus-prevention activities and provide basic hygiene and safety services.

One such organisation is the Urban Poor Federation of Dhaka North City, linking 350 Community Development Committees (CDCs). The federation is organised around community savings groups and provides accessible finance to urban poor groups.

Targeting food assistance

Detailed information about urban poor households most in need is not readily available.

When the government signalled they would distribute food to the poor, community leaders from CDCs created lists of the most vulnerable residents: widows, pregnant or lactating mothers, disabled people, or those who couldn't afford food. These lists helped ensure food assistance and donations went to those in desperate need and not the better off. 

As Sumi, a community leader from Narayanganj City, put it: “We work at the grassroots level so it is easier for us to identify the people who are in real need”.  

On 16 April, the Prime Minister launched an initiative to register five million poor households across the country, who would be eligible to buy heavily subsidised food staples. Community leaders worked with the city government to formulate the lists.  

Community hygiene

Community leaders have also been promoting awareness about hygiene within the community. In Narayanganj, community leaders worked with city officials to distribute leaflets about hand washing and wearing face masks. They also set up hand washing stations.

Every day in the informal settlements they collect household waste, clean trash from the roadsides and scrub pavements with bleach provided by the city government. The federation is constantly running campaigns with residents about the importance of keeping themselves and their localities clean.  

Hand washing stations have been set up in centrally located areas within slums to prevent spread of the virus (Photo: copyright Saikat Mojumder)

Urban agriculture grows

The lockdown has brought a surge in urban agriculture – both in practice and in recognising its value as a reliable and sustainable source of nutritious food during hard times.

Over the past few months, hundreds of small household and community fruit and vegetable gardens have sprung up on little pieces of land and vacant lots. They have become a lifeline, providing families with nutritious food they can't afford to buy in the market. Urban agriculture can also create an alternative income source.

Mohammad Nurunnabi (39) grows vegetables for his family in his homestead garden Banani TNT Colony. He is on leave from his garment factory job due to the lockdown (Photo: copyright Fahad Abdullah Kaiser)

In the Korail Bosti, an informal settlement of over 100,000 residents in the city centre, 20 enterprising residents have cultivated small vegetable gardens on the banks of the surrounding lake. With jobs scarce, they have relied on their crops for subsistence, and begun to sell produce to neighbours at prices well below market rate.

Community-based agriculture calls for management of abandoned or unused land, irrigation pumps and gardening tools – but the efforts pay off, enabling communities to cultivate urgently-needed food, thereby building their resilience and group power. 

Mohammad Badol (38) is a resident of the Korail Bosti informal settlement. He prepares the ground on his lot on the bank of Banani Lake to grow vegetables. Having lost his garment factory job, he sells vegetables to other residents as well as helping to feed his family (Photo: copyright Fahad Abdullah Kaiser)

A silver lining

Instead of withdrawing in fear of being infected, the urban poor community groups in Dhaka have shown bravery and commitment as promoters of true community development. Selina Begum, president of the Dhaka North Federation puts it like this: “We did not step back. We have continued our social services amid this COVID-19 emergency by protecting ourselves and working hard. We’ll be stronger now in the face of a health emergency.” 

Drawing on their local knowledge, they have led efforts to organise communities to protect themselves and to ensure that assistance goes to those who need it most; they have turned the challenge of the virus on its head, using it as an opportunity to build their capacity and find new ways of looking after the city's most vulnerable citizens.  

https://www.iied.org/how-dhakas-urban-poor-are-dealing-covid-19

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The next blog in this series will examine the global geography of 'world' cities.

Female Entrepreneurs amid COVID-19

After Bangladesh went under a nation-wide lockdown, online sales of daily essentials and health products started booming. But online retailers of fashion, IT services, cosmetics, and other imported products took a hard hit.

A large percentage of these retailers are women who operate their businesses through Facebook. According to a recent study by the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Barc University, more than 90% of the online entrepreneurs are losing revenue.

% of respondents who lost revenue	businesses are losing revenue by (%)
0-10	2.98
11-20	3.88
21-30	6.8
31-40	7.77
41-50	5.83
51-60	10.68
61-70	10.68
71-80	12.62
81-90	13.59
90-100	18.45
Not sure	6.8

 

Many of them are trying to reduce the loss by cancelling orders, while others are selling their stock at a discount.

Effect	Yes	No
Giving discounts	12	88
Cancelling orders	48	52
Laying-off employees	9	91
No change	15	85

Surprisingly, the majority of these business owners, despite the loss, are optimistic about overcoming this crisis.

level of confidence	% of entrepreneurs
Very confident	13.93
Confident	45.9
Not confident	9.84
Doubtful	30.33

But to do so, they will need help.

Yet, these businesses remain ineligible for the government’s stimulus package for not having formal registration or a trade license. The majority of the entrepreneurs believe that if they are granted a share of the stimulus package, it would help them save their businesses. However, a significant number of them do not know about the package or how it would benefit them.

perception	as perceived by entrepreneurs (%)
Beneficial	30.33
Maybe beneficial	34.43
Not beneficial	13.93
Don't know	21.31

If things do not improve for these online businesses, most entrepreneurs will have to shut down or lay-off their employees.

number of employees	people are employed by
0	34.43
1-5	41.8
6-20	19.67
20+	4.1

This can lead to a surge in potential unemployment.

Moreover, as over half the entrepreneurs depend on these businesses as their only source of income, the economic empowerment and independence of these entrepreneurs will also be in jeopardy.

 

*This is an experimental study page created for interactive data visualization. It does not follow the typical study page format. For the full interactive experience, view the page on your computer.

Source - https://bigd.bracu.ac.bd/study/female-entrepreneurs-amid-covid-19/