Nadi
Shikasti Gono Adhikar Forum (NASHGAF)
Introduction
Bangladesh
being predominantly a riverine country, it has 250 rivers, big
and small, with a stretch of 2,400 kilometer of bank line. The
country is a living delta formed of alluvial soil which is very
prove to erosion with any degree of river activity or water movement.
283 locations as well as 85 towns and growth centres along the
long bank line are seriously affected by river erosion almost
every year. Besides, another 1200 kilometer of bank line are vulnerable
to erosion.
50
per cent of those who become homeless due to river erosion can
not find a new home due to poverty and resource constraints. They
live a floating life: there are more or less 4.0 million such
home less people in the country lead floating life. In most cases
such floating families live on public land such as char lands,
embankments, abandoned railway trucks, slopes of highways etc.
With rural urban migration many of them increase concentration
of population in urban slums.
The
Nadi Shikasti Gono Adhikar Forum (NASHGAFG) is a civil society
forum for the rights of river erosion affected people of Bangladesh.
NASHGAF was formed in 1993 as a membership support network.
The
purpose of forming NASHGAF was to:
- help
river erosion victims to organize themselves under the banner
of one national networking institution.
- help river erosion victims to run effective campaign for an
amendment to the existing laws of alluvion and deluvion ensuring
rights of river erosion affected people over their eroded and
accreted land.
- undertaking projects, preferably through member organizations,
for short term employment generation for the victims of fresh
erosion of river.
- undertaking projects, preferably through member organizations,
for providing housing support to river erosion victims families.
- undertaking socio-economic development projects for long term
rehabilitation of the river erosion affected population.
Success
of NASHGAF
Through
its campaign, NASHGAF was successful to establish itself a credible
organization nationally and internationally and a reliable source
of information on river erosion.
The
laws of alluvion and deluvion was amended in the Bangladesh Parliament
in 1994 to the benefit of the river erosion affected people. But
unfortunately the amendment has not been implemented effective
depriving hundreds of thousands of river erosion affected people
of Bangladesh.
Some members of NASHGAF were able to secure funding for projects
designed for supporting river erosion affected people.
The
ICRC video on river erosion in Bangladesh included a very important
interview of the NASHGAF Chairperson. The video was circulated
globally.
Organization
NASHGAF
is an informal network with 166 full members and more than 300
associate members. The national Executive Committee takes are
of day to day activities on voluntary basis. Secretarial support
comes from the Bangladesh Development Partnership Centre (BDPC).
Funding
So
far, NASHGAF received small funding from PACT Inc. in 1994 for
just one year. Except for that contribution, NASHGAF has been
always supported by membership fees and small contributions from
its member organizations.
Contact
Address:
Chairperson
NASHGAF
138Ka, Pisciculture
Shyamoli, Dhaka 1207
Bangladesh.
Phone: 880-2-8110542
Email: bdpc@agni.com
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