Society & progress

Floating gardens in the wetlands

In parts of southern Bangladesh, farmers turn water hyacinth and other plant matter into floating beds for vegetables and seedlings during wet months.

Where seasonal water covers fields, a vegetable bed need not rest on dry ground. In parts of southern Bangladesh, including areas of Gopalganj, Pirojpur and Barishal, farmers build floating beds known as dhap. Water hyacinth and other plant material are layered into a buoyant platform that gradually decomposes. Seeds or seedlings are placed in a prepared growing surface above the water. Farmers tend the beds from small boats and can raise vegetables or seedlings while surrounding land remains flooded. The choice of crop, the bed’s condition and the timing of work depend on local water levels and experience passed between growers. Floating cultivation makes use of materials close at hand, but it is not effortless or suitable for every wetland. Building and maintaining a bed takes labour, and strong currents, salinity or changing water conditions can limit its use. Its strength lies in a close reading of a particular landscape, rather than a promise that any flooded field can become a garden.