Children watch as Mahidul returns to shore after fishing along the tributary of the river Bhramamputra which runs close to his home. The river provides Mahidul a source of income but but flooding regularly aggravates the poverty he, his family and neighbours suffer. The banks of the river (in photograph) are composed mainly of unstable sand which regularly falls into the river so eroding the surrounding land. ..Eleven-year old Mahidul lives close to the banks of a tributary of the Bramhaputra river in Bangladesh's Kurigram District. Like many others who live on river-side chars (sediment islands), Mahidul's family are poor and particularly vulnerable to the flooding that has occurred with increasing frequency over recent years. Seasonal over-flowing occurs naturally along the river deltas that wind their way through Bangladesh but large upstream dams and de-forestaion have made the situation far worse. Increased sediment deposits have reduced the depth of rivers. As a consequence tributaries like those of the Bramhaputra are more likely to burst their banks in times of high water-flow and less likely to yield the fish that is a source of income for those like Mahidul. Global warming and the subsequent melting of glaciers high in the Himalayan mountain range are escalating the frequency and severity of floods, making life on Bangladesh's chars particularly precarious...Though still a child, Mahidul is the sole breadwinner for his family of seven. He left school three years ago and now spends his days, and sometimes nights, fishing the river that flows beside his house. Mahidul's, father Joynal Abedin, suffers from an acute case of T.B. which prevents him from working while elder brother Hafizul shows little inclination to work for the welfare of his family. As a consequence Mahidul is held dear by his parents, particularly mother Halima Begum. ..Mahidul does not own a boat or the nets required for catching fish. He must hire this equipment from neighbour Abdul Rahim