Abstract
It is already documented that climate change will lead to an intensification of the global water cycle with a consequent increase in flood hazards. Bangladesh is also facing an increasing trend of flood disasters. Among the various risks and disasters in Bangladesh, flood is the most common and frequent. Floods make people vulnerable, as they take away their livelihoods at the first instance and leave them with little resources to overcome from the situation. Because of floods, rural poor communities face job loss, and two-thirds of their income is reduced, which limits their capabilities of preparedness, response, and recovery to subsequent floods. People cope with the situation by bearing substantial debts and a loss of productive assets. With an empirical field study in one of the most flood-prone upazilas (sub-districts) of Bangladesh, namely Goalanda Upazilla of the Rajbari district, this study intends to draw a “flood impact tree” of the study area. It also examines the impacts of flood on the livelihood of the rural poor and explores their coping strategies. This paper aims to facilitate an understanding of the impact of floods on their livelihood, especially on the income and occupations of the rural poor. At the same time, it aims to learn from their coping mechanisms.
Highlights
It is already documented that climate change will lead to an intensification of the global water cycle with a consequent increase in flood hazards
Climate 2016, 4, 60 can engulf between 30% and 70% of the country in each year [8]. In addition to these regular phenomena, it is predicted that climate change will lead to an intensification of the global water cycle with a consequent increase in flood hazards [9]
We examine the impact of flood on the livelihood of the rural poor communities therein and their coping mechanisms
Summary
It is already documented that climate change will lead to an intensification of the global water cycle with a consequent increase in flood hazards. The authors of a study [2] on large UK Rivers stated that climate change scenarios have caused an increase in the magnitude and frequency of flooding. Climate 2016, 4, 60 can engulf between 30% and 70% of the country in each year [8] In addition to these regular phenomena, it is predicted that climate change will lead to an intensification of the global water cycle with a consequent increase in flood hazards [9]. Bangladesh is facing this increasing trend of flood disasters in this changing context of climate. Hydrology and water resources of the GBM basins are likely to have significant effects due to global warming and climate change, which would change future peak discharges of the GBM basin and could lead to more serious flooding in Bangladesh [12]
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