Cyclone Sidr: The ones who stayed behind

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Three years after nearly 9 million people around coastal Bangladesh were affected by Cyclone Sidr, Tahseen Inam meets people in Bangladesh still battling unpredictable weather. A fishing trawler in Bangladesh. Photo: Ami Vitale/OxfamOur trawler sped down Bishkhali River, destroying the relative calmness of the night and startling the occasional fishing boat. In the distance, lights from houses on the banks of the river struggled against the inky blackness of the night. We were on our way to the tiny village of South Tetulbaria in Barguna district in South-West Bangladesh. Barely a few kilometres from the Bay of Bengal, the coastal village offers an idyllic setting, but spend some time talking to the residents of the villages here and their stories are anything but idyllic. The lasting impact of Cyclone Sidr The southern coastal area of Bangladesh has been traditionally underdeveloped. The region is among the poorest in Bangladesh. Cyclone Sidr hit the coast three years ago today, wreaking havoc on an already vulnerable population. People have lost their relatives, homes and livestock. The community has still not recovered from the impact of the cyclone. Two hours after leaving Barguna town, our trawler reached the village. An unusual sight greeted us. The village was in mourning after receiving news that there were no survivors from a fishing boat that had gone missing a week ago. The men on the boat had all been members of the community ? fathers and sons whose families are now grieving. The boat had gone out to sea over a week ago and had capsized in the ocean because of rough weather. In the absence of any official search and rescue teams, friends and relatives of the fishermen had been out looking for the missing men, but seven days later there was still no trace of them. People in these villages have been living in this state of uncertainty for years. Razia, who lost her husband, Mohabbat Ali Khan, in 2005. Photo: Ami Vitale/Oxfam Razia, a tall, frail looking woman of 45, lives in the neighbouring village of Gulisa Khali, about 3km away. Razia lost her husband, Mohabbat Ali Khan, in 2005. He went on a fishing trip with 13 other fishermen and was caught in the rough seas. His boat capsized and Razia has not heard from him since. Despite this, Razia refuses to give up hope and has recently received information that he is in a jail in India. Razia's only son has left the village to work in Chittagong as a labourer. That is the other story of these villages: the young are leaving to go and work in factories in Chittagong and Dhaka. Not an ideal occupation, but most consider it preferable to risking their lives at sea. Fishermen in Bangladesh. Photo: Ami Vitale/Oxfam Changing weather means fishing is dangerous Those who stay behind continue to face the challenges the changing weather is bringing them, bravely fishing in treacherous waters despite the warnings and the risks, in an attempt to provide for their families and earn a living. Latif Sikdar, 60, grandly describes himself as the oldest man in the village. The others nod in agreement and one young man murmurs, "Ui Jeevata nahi!" ("he is so old as not to be alive at all!"). Latif Sikdar talks about some of the changes he has seen in the weather over the years. "The sea has changed and it is not safe to go fishing into the sea anymore. There are not enough fish in the sea either and the profession is no longer profitable," he says. "For the past few years, rainfall has become very erratic. It hardly rains during the rainy season and instead rains at odd times in the year. This has affected our crops. No wonder all the young men are leaving." A national shadow Tribunal on livelihoods and climate change was held in Dhaka last week. The main objective of the tribunal was to send a message to the global community that, because of climate change, the livelihoods of millions of people in developing countries is severely threatened. These people made no contribution to bringing the climate crisis but are the worst affected. The people in the southern coastal area of Bangladesh are one such group. Where we work: Bangladesh More from the Oxfam Press Office at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/news