Livelihood Adaptation of coastal rural population after Aila: An Asset-based Analysis

This thesis explores the adaptations of the rural coastal people after cyclone through a vulnerability study in Southwest Bangladesh. Over the past 10 years among 4 cyclones Sidr (2007) and Aila (2009) are two devastating cyclones which dismissed the whole livelihood pattern of the coastal people and the ecosystem as well. Among the people those people are becoming more vulnerable who are poor. After Aila particularly shrimp farming has changed livelihood opportunities and increased the vulnerabilities of poor villagers to future environmental changes, including climate change. This research therefore aims to find out the status of livelihood adaptation using assets of rural coastal people of the southwest after cyclone. It is found that these types of climate related vulnerability and adaptive capacity are differentiated at the sub-community level, both among different socio-economic, occupational groups and even within themselves. Therefore, it has explored the factors that shape differentiated vulnerability and adaptive capacity within the four communities, with a focus on differentiated nature of poverty. The research also uses asset-based framework of vulnerability and adaptation to analyse vulnerability and adaptation of rural coastal households and communities to climate variability. The research findings have explained why and how climate related vulnerability and adaptive capacity are differentiated at different levels. It is found that the adaptive strategies were not quite enough to reduce the vulnerabilities indicated the risks of the people especially the poor. As a result, many people must migrate to other places to earn livelihood. Sufficient assets can protect themselves and more resilient against the risks of the climate extremes. 

• Supervision