Can Social Safety Nets Alleviate Seasonal Deprivation? Evidence from Northwest Bangladesh

Khandker, Shahidur R. ; Khaleque, M. Abdul ; Samad, Hussain A.

关键词: AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY;    AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS;    AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH;    AGRICULTURE;    ANTI-POVERTY;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-5865
RP-ID  :  WPS5865

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper examines the role of socialsafety-net programs in Bangladesh run by the government andnongovernmental organizations to mitigate seasonaldeprivation in the country's highly vulnerablenorthwest region. Specifically, the paper explores whethersocial safety nets are limited to averting seasonaldeprivation or can also address seasonality of income andemployment more generally. Using a recent survey from thegreater Rangpur (northwest) region, the paper finds thatsocial safety nets have a positive effect on mitigating bothseasonal and non-seasonal food deprivation. The results arerobust, owing to the recent expanded coverage of socialsafety-net programs run by nongovernmental organizationsactive in the region. But given the annual recurrence ofmonga (seasonal food insecurity) in the northwest regionowing to agricultural seasonality and an overwhelmingdependence on agriculture for livelihoods, social safetynets are not a reliable tool for monga eradication. Programsare also needed to promote the income and productivity ofthe poor through diversification of income and employment.