Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Groundwater irrigation technologies are crucial for dry season agriculture in the North Western part of Bangladesh. The production of the major crop of the country, rice, is highly dependent on groundwater irrigation using Shallow Tube Wells (STW) and Deep Tube Wells (DTW). Along with the implementation of these irrigation technologies, concerns have been raised over the years on the unequal distribution of benefits of these technologies. This research explores farmers’ experiences of the adoption of these technologies and analyses the impact on gender relations and the power dynamics between the machine owner and renter. The research has been conducted in two villages in the districts Rangpur and Thakurgaon. The findings present that social hierarchies have been strengthened due to the adoption of advanced technologies by providing uneven benefits between the owner and the renter. According to the farmers’ experiences, the use of DTW may have an adverse effect on the water extraction capability of STWs that creates uneven benefits between the users’ group of DTW and STW. Besides, women’s access to irrigation may have increased with the adoption of advanced technology. The study shows how social identities of gender, economic class and religion shape farmers experience and influence social constructions of technologies.