Migration and Demographic Change in the Context of Commons Management in Bangladesh

Abstract

"Migration both internal and external has created imbalances in the management of natural resources in general and common pool resources in particular in many parts of the world including Bangladesh. Migration has always been a historical phenomenon. However, the recent speed of globalization has given new dimension to it. It has affected the participation rate at the rural level in the context of common pool resources management.

"The entire process has unleashed a whole spectrum of interactions among the local people, migrant and common pool resources. Since the management of these types of resources usually comes spontaneously and principally from the young who are at the same time the potential migrants, the scope for negligence to these is also quite high in case of migration. In this paper attempt has been made to look into the following issues taking into account the management of a wetland in Bangladesh. The study centers on the impact of religion, demographic change and valuation on a wetland resources (common property resource) in North Eastern Bangladesh. Indigenous people specially the fisherman who belong to minority community (Hindu community) are usually the principle agent in maintaining the wetland resources in a sustainable manner (as fish is one of the most valuable renewable resource in this wetland). However, the infiltration of Muslim community through internal migration is systematically wiping out the indigenous people. The indigenous people also become reluctant and frustrated to take care of the resource properly as their stake is threatened and chances of migration to neighboring India or other countries become feasible and vibrant. Those who moved to the area slowly grasped the resource with no intention of maintaining it thereby destabilizing the prevalent common management practice. The paper uses survey population of 350 fishermen families to explore the actual situation. It looks into the loss of fish crop due to negligence by using Dose Response 2 Function, contemporaneous and intergenerational externalities. Ultimately the paper suggests some solutions in conflict resolution and awareness creation in creating more value to the resource and its proper management."