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Delta regions represent unique settings characterized by a combination of dynamic hydrological environments and livelihood opportunity. They are sites of intensive human activity and infrastructure development aimed at managing the environment and ameliorating hazards such as riverbank erosion. In this paper, we present a case study from the Meghna River delta highlighting livelihood dynamics in the context of riverbank erosion and the recent construction of a protective concrete revetment. To account for the hydrological, socioeconomic, and infrastructural dynamics of the delta environment, we characterize our setting as a hydrosocial territory, and we draw from interviews with local residents to document key dimensions of delta life within the Meghna estuary. Our findings show that the delta environment provides opportunity for local residents, but that riverbank erosion has led to significant displacement and is a source of anxiety for many. We also find that both the nature of the hazard and the limited extent of the new embankment have led to an uneven hydrosocial territory characterized by social and spatial inequality. Despite ongoing challenges, our study shows that riverside dwellers are active agents who manage to craft unique hybrid livelihoods from within the Meghna floodplains. 

Abstract Riverbank erosion is a common hazard in Bangladesh, posing a significant threat to homes, properties, and livelihoods. In recent years, the government of Bangladesh has intensified efforts to mitigate riverbank erosion by hardening shorelines, including the building of concrete revetments, but the local dynamics of these interventions are not well documented. To address this, we present results from a study of community-level response to a 2-mile long concrete revetment recently constructed in the administrative district of Ramgati, in the lower Meghna River basin of Bangladesh. Our study combines quantitative analysis of data from a household survey with qualitative data from semi-structured interviews to assess resident perceptions of the new revetment and its effect on the landscape of riverbank erosion hazard. The study finds, firstly, that hazard awareness is widespread but may be influenced by livelihood factors related to the dynamics of displacement and resettlement. Second, we find that that the negative impacts of riverbank erosion vary spatially. Hazard perception in Ramgati is significantly influenced by the physical location of the household, with those residing closer to the river and in unprotected zones north and south of the revetment expressing much greater worry that they will lose their homes, and believing that this will happen much sooner than residents further away or in the zone now protected by the embankment. As an empirically grounded case study, our findings add to the literature on riverbank erosion in Bangladesh and perception studies focused on water-based hazards in similar settings globally.