Project 09: Konakhola Field Notes
Participatory Research on Agricultural Practices, Land Use and Resource Distribution in Konakhola, Keraniganj
Media
The transect walk recorded on the day, and the only project video the portfolio report links to.
Description
During the Summer 2025 semester I conducted a field research project for MSJ 3161. The study explored the livelihoods and environmental challenges faced by a marginalised Hindu community in Konakhola, Keraniganj. Using the Participatory Rural Appraisal approach, I applied Transect Walk, Farmers Field School and Resource Mapping to collect field data, documenting local agricultural practices, seasonal livelihoods, land use and resource distribution while recording how the community holds together under pressure.
Justification
I wanted to understand how local communities adapt to economic and environmental pressure using traditional knowledge and whatever resources are at hand, with particular attention to women's contribution to household income. A participatory approach lets community members name their own needs, strengths and solutions rather than having them named for them.
§ Project
The submitted document, in full.
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Outcomes and Learning
The project gave me practical experience in participatory research methods and community engagement, and improved my ability to record fieldwork accurately and to write it up so it is useful to someone else.
- Fieldwork practice: transect walk, resource mapping and Farmers Field School run with, not on, the community.
- Recognition of unpaid and undercounted women's labour as a real component of household income.
- Grassroots findings written for a policy and NGO audience, with recommendations on skills, market access and digital literacy.