• A comprehensive analysis of the impact of the 1998 floods, the response of the government, and the coping strategies of households
• Valuable lessons for developing countries on maintaining food security following major production shortfalls
• A guide for future research and decisionmaking on ways to address chronic food insecurity in Bangladesh

Since attaining independence in 1971, Bangladesh has made significant progress toward food security. However, periodic natural disasters continue to cause major production shortfalls, leading to poverty and malnutrition. The book The 1998 Floods and Beyond describes the impact of the 1998 floods on markets and household food security and outlines the complementary roles that well-executed government policies, private markets, and donor support played in averting a major food crisis.

13 essays examine the evolution of recent food policy debates regarding agricultural production, food consumption, price stabilization, disincentive effects of food aid, trade liberalization, food market liberalization, household food insecurity, coping mechanisms, and public, targeted food distribution programs. This book also examines two other important related topics: the prospects for livestock and horticultural production and the results from an extensive evaluation of the Food for Education program.

By documenting lessons learned from the 1998 floods, analyzing market and other supply constraints, and identifying possible policy reforms and investments, this book contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the food security situation and the prospects for its improvement in Bangladesh.

"The 1998 Floods and Beyond: Towards Comprehensive Food Security in Bangladesh... constitutes an important landmark in the history of food policy research in Bangladesh, and is an appropriate and timely sequel to the earlier IFPRI book, Out of the Shadow of Famine... The search for efficient food policy to promote growth, achieve equity, and reduce poverty is ongoing as circumstances change and new challenges emerge. In this task this book will be immensely helpful to both policymakers and researchers."

--From the preface by Nurul Islam, research fellow emeritus at IFPRI and former deputy chairman of the Bangladesh Planning Commission

Paul Dorosh, senior economist in the South Asia Rural Development Unit at the World Bank and former IFPRI senior research fellow, served as chief of party for IFPRI`s Food Management and Research Support Project in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 1997 to 2001.

Carlo del Ninno, a senior economist in the Social Protection Unit of the World Bank, was outposted to Bangladesh as an IFPRI research fellow from 1997 to 2001, working with the Food Management and Research Support Project.

Quazi Shahabuddin, director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), was a core team member of the Food Management and Research Support Project in Bangladesh.

The Table of Contents of this book is available for download in PDF format.

Table of Contents
(PDF 32K)

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The 1998 Floods in Bangladesh: Disaster Impacts, Household Coping Strategies, and Response. 2001. del Ninno, C., P. A. Dorosh, L. C. Smith, and D. K. Roy. Research Report 122. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Out of the Shadow of Famine: Evolving Food Markets and Food Policy in Bangladesh. 2000. Ahmed, R., S. Haggblade, and T. Chowdhury, eds. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Out of the Shadow of Famine: Evolving Food Markets and Food Policy in Bangladesh. 2000. Ahmed, R., S. Haggblade, and T. Chowdhury, eds. IFPRI Food Policy Statement. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute.