For the most part, living on the water is very harsh -- there is no sanitation or drinking water connections, and little electricity. (According to one fisherman, a government boat comes by once a week with a charger so that villagers can recharge their lights and small appliances.) Many families tether cages to their houseboats, where fish and crocodiles are kept and fattened with everyday wastes. Photo 5 of 10 in Living on Water: Floating Villages by Tiffany Chu

Living on Water: Floating Villages

5 of 10

For the most part, living on the water is very harsh -- there is no sanitation or drinking water connections, and little electricity. (According to one fisherman, a government boat comes by once a week with a charger so that villagers can recharge their lights and small appliances.) Many families tether cages to their houseboats, where fish and crocodiles are kept and fattened with everyday wastes.