An assessment of vulnerability and adaptation to cyclones through impact assessment guidelines: a bottom-up case study from Bangladesh coast

Abstract

After reviewing relevant climate impact assessment guidelines derived from those of the United States Country Study Program (USCSP), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and UNEP, the author adopted a set of impact assessment steps towards a methodological procedure for assessing vulnerability and adaptation (V and A) in a Bangladesh coastal cyclone-prone area. This paper classifies and prioritizes the intensity of V and A issues through weighting index values of two recent cyclones: ‘Sidr’ in 2007 and ‘Aila’ in 2009. This study offers a model using V and A techniques ideal for immediate policy-making in order to reduce future vulnerability at local level.