ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES OF COASTAL PEOPLE IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE: EXPERIENCES FROM TWO VILLAGES OF DACOPE UPAZILA IN BANGLADESH

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.