When lands submerge in Pirojpur, water becomes the soil
Locally known as the “ber” or “dhap” system, this 200-year-old method has sustained the people of Pirojpur and Barishal for generations
Imagine all lands and fields have flooded, leaving no land left for cultivation. What do you do? Farmers in Pirojpur found an answer to this question some 200 years ago; they began farming on water itself.
From above, the curved, layered structures look like ripples frozen in time — but these are not waves. These are floating seedbeds built with water hyacinths, banana stems and layers of mud that carry the promise of vegetables and livelihoods on their buoyant backs.
This centuries-old method, locally known as the "ber" or "dhap" system, has sustained the people of Pirojpur and Barishal for generations. It is a simple idea born out of necessity: when 60% of the land in places like Nazirpur remains submerged for most of the year, farmers build the land on water.
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Esratunnesa Easha, Upazila Agriculture Officer of Nazirpur, said, "Most of Nazirpur stays underwater for most of the year, there remains no land to cultivate on. So the people invented this method. It has been effective."
Fields that float
The floating beds are typically 70 to 90 feet long and five feet wide. They are made by stacking water hyacinths or "kochuripana" layer by layer, binding them with banana stems and bamboo frames to form a dense, spongy platform. Soil is added on top, making it suitable for sowing crops.
The result is a movable field that can drift with the current. "We first make the beds, layer by layer, with aquatic plants that float," explained Zakir Hossain, a farmer from Boitakata. "We arrange them step by step and then place the seeds on top. About 10–15 seeds go in each row; a single bed can have 100–150 rows."
Farmers also use antifungal agents to prevent the beds from rotting. "Since it is on water, there are no rats or ants either," he added.
Not just functional, the floating fields are sustainable too. The crops draw nutrients directly from the water and aquatic plants, which reduces the need for chemical fertilisers and pesticides. As a result, the production cost is low, while the environmental impact is minimal.
In the villages, women gather on bamboo verandas, their hands deep in the green tangles of water hyacinths. They make "meda" — small bundles twisted from the roots of hyacinths, into which seeds are planted.
Once the seedlings grow, they are transferred to the larger floating beds. These seedlings, nurtured by the gentle rhythm of the water, eventually find their way to nurseries, then to markets across the country.
In Nazirpur, around 450-500 families earn their living through floating cultivation. "In Nazirpur alone, the total area covered by floating beds is about 185 to 200 hectares, and around 1,800 beds in total," said Esratunnesa Easha. "We provide them with better seeds and materials whenever we can. We are always here to support them."
Bangladesh, the world's largest delta, sits at the mercy of rising seas and sinking land. The IMF warned that the country could lose 17% of its land surface and 30% of its food production by 2050 due to coastal erosion and sea-level rise. In this fragile landscape, the floating farms of Pirojpur are not merely an old trick of survival; they are a glimpse of how adaptation might look in the years ahead.
Farmer Zakir and his colleague Mohammad Mamun were busy tending to their floating beds. "It takes about a month to make these beds, the 'dhap' and after that, we plant the seedlings," Mamun said, gently inspecting a patch of bottle gourd leaves.
"For bottle gourd seedlings, it takes 20-25 days. Aubergine and papaya take around 30 days, and cauliflower or cabbage takes more than a month and a half," he continued. "We grow about 15 to 20 types, Bombay chilli, regular chilli, and many others."
Each bed can hold a large number of seedlings. "If it is 10 nol long and four hands wide, we can get around 1,500 to 1,600 seedlings," said Zakir. "Smaller beds yield a bit fewer. Papaya or aubergine seedlings are usually higher in number."
"For bottle gourd seedlings, it costs around four to six taka each," he explained. "We sell them wholesale, about Tk100 to Tk200 per hundred seedlings. My expenses are around Tk800 to Tk900, so yes, there is risk and a good profit margin at the same time. But it depends on the timing; the season affects everything."
The farmers sell their seedlings in local markets such as Boitakata, Kolardoania, Alki Bazar, Gobardhan, Binia, Chandkathi, and Gaokhali.
A heritage of resilience
Floating cultivation has deep roots in Bangladesh's history. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has recognised it as one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
But despite the method being celebrated globally, the farmers who keep it alive often struggle for recognition and support.
"People from various organisations come, take photographs and videos, and then leave," said Badal Sarker, a 'dhap' maker from Beel Dumuria. "No one supports us, even though our work keeps agriculture alive here."
The preparation of each seedbed is labour-intensive. "We have to collect water hyacinths from about 3,500 square feet of area," said Al Amin, another dhap maker from Nazirpur. "We start in mid-May before the monsoon, and continue for four months. Each seedbed costs about Tk6,000 to prepare, Tk1,500 for hyacinths, Tk3,500 for labour, and Tk1,000 for other expenses. We sell them for Tk8,000 to Tk9,000."
But the costs are rising. "We used to collect water hyacinths for free. Now we have to pay Tk5,000 to Tk6,000 per bigha to landowners to collect them from the wetlands."
For many, the work is grueling. "We often work in the open for hours under the heat or rain. There is no shelter. After a full day's work, we earn around Tk800 to Tk850," said Habibul Alam Mridha, another worker.
Water — both enemy and ally
In recent years, climate change has made floating farming not just a tradition but a necessity. Rising seas, erratic monsoons, and prolonged waterlogging have forced many farmers in the southwestern delta to turn, or return, to this ancestral technique.
Mohammad Goni, a 42-year-old farmer from the low-lying delta, revived his forefathers' practice after floodwaters destroyed his cropland. "These days, the land stays underwater for longer," he said. "This ancient technique helped me earn a living. I was a fruit vendor before but it pushed me into debt. Then I chose floating farming five years ago, and it changed my life."
Floating farms are now practised by around 6,000 farmers across the swampy southwest. In Pirojpur district alone, they cover 250 hectares, up from 80 just five years ago.
"It requires less space than conventional farming and does not need pesticides," said Esratunnesa. "When we are fighting the impacts of global warming, floating farming could be the future."
But the changing climate also means higher costs and harder work.
"The hyacinths cause itching and sores across my hands," said Asia Begum, 32, who spends over eight hours a day making seed balls for the rafts. Her neighbour, Rehana Begum, a mother of three, nodded. "The work is so painful. I cannot sleep at night because of waist pain. But what else can I do when water is everywhere most of the time?"
Bangladesh, the world's largest delta, sits at the mercy of rising seas and sinking land. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the country could lose 17% of its land surface and 30% of its food production by 2050 due to coastal erosion and sea-level rise.
In this fragile landscape, the floating farms of Pirojpur are not merely an old trick of survival; they are a glimpse of how adaptation might look in the years ahead.
