Adaptive Strategies of Coastal People in Response To Climate Change: Experiences From Two Villages of Dacope Upazila in Bangladesh
Category:- Journal; Year:- 2022
Discipline:- Agrotechnology Discipline
School:- Life Science School
Abstract
Coastal zone of Bangladesh is
vulnerable to different disasters due to global climate change. However, the vulnerability
magnitude and impact of climate change has been hardly assessed focusing
livelihood issues. Thus, this study was carried out to assess the impacts of
the climate change and to find out the existing adaptation strategies at two
villages of Dacope upazila in Khulna district of Bangladesh involving
purposively selected 100 farmers. A survey was conducted using a pre-tested
structured interview schedule. It was found that the highest proportion of the
respondents (77%) belonged to low-income group (˂50,000 BDT i.e., 587.98 USD
family-1). Villagers faced water stagnation, flood, high salinity, and severe
drought during summer. These natural disasters damaged the crops, livestock,
poultry, trees, houses, roads and shrimp water bodies. Probable solutions to
mitigate the disasters would be construction of strong bunds, collecting and
storing fresh water through digging small farm ponds, using the stored water
for irrigation, training for awareness building, invention of alternate
sustainable technology, excavation of canals and GO-NGO collaboration. Farmers
reported that rainwater harvesting, hanging vegetable gardening,
gher/embankment gardening, domestic animal rearing, handicrafts, etc. were some
viable livelihood options. Development and release of new crop varieties,
protection of the Sundarbans and awareness building through motivation might be
some coping strategies for future extreme weather events.