Permanent solution to monga lay in long-term programme : Study
Thursday, 31 March 2011
FE Report
Long term development planning through microeconomic involvement and macroeconomic policy interventions is needed to eradicate Monga permanently, a study said. "Lack of policy and development programme intervention with long term vision is at the centripetal of the food insecurity of Monga affected regions," it added. The study commissioned by Oxfam on "Monga - a concern for food security remains out of the box of long run development planning process an analysis of missing link between microeconomic interventions and macroeconomic policy interventions" has been conducted on Monga affected areas of Gaibandha, Rang-pur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari. It also revealed that though Monga received adequate attention among the policy makers as well as development agencies over the past few years, their policy interventions are reactive than pro-active. In most cases, when the crisis deepens, the government and the development agencies resort to short run microeconomic interventions, giving emphasis solving only immediate problem of food scarcity, Ziaul Hoque Mukta, policy and advocacy manager of Oxfam said. "This is not sustainable for long term," he said adding microeconomic interventions are important to tackle the crisis but long term programmes are needed to eradicate Monga permanently. Referring the the study he said according to the beneficiary women the impacts of Monga in 2009-10 were relatively less for them compared to the past years. The study recommended to ensure year-round employment opportunity through diversified economic activities-farm and non-farm-in the Northern districts. The immediate development priorities should be to gainful agriculture investment, particularly, on crop production in Northern districts which in future could open up increased investment in agro-based industries, the study said.
Long term development planning through microeconomic involvement and macroeconomic policy interventions is needed to eradicate Monga permanently, a study said. "Lack of policy and development programme intervention with long term vision is at the centripetal of the food insecurity of Monga affected regions," it added. The study commissioned by Oxfam on "Monga - a concern for food security remains out of the box of long run development planning process an analysis of missing link between microeconomic interventions and macroeconomic policy interventions" has been conducted on Monga affected areas of Gaibandha, Rang-pur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari. It also revealed that though Monga received adequate attention among the policy makers as well as development agencies over the past few years, their policy interventions are reactive than pro-active. In most cases, when the crisis deepens, the government and the development agencies resort to short run microeconomic interventions, giving emphasis solving only immediate problem of food scarcity, Ziaul Hoque Mukta, policy and advocacy manager of Oxfam said. "This is not sustainable for long term," he said adding microeconomic interventions are important to tackle the crisis but long term programmes are needed to eradicate Monga permanently. Referring the the study he said according to the beneficiary women the impacts of Monga in 2009-10 were relatively less for them compared to the past years. The study recommended to ensure year-round employment opportunity through diversified economic activities-farm and non-farm-in the Northern districts. The immediate development priorities should be to gainful agriculture investment, particularly, on crop production in Northern districts which in future could open up increased investment in agro-based industries, the study said.