Impacts of disaster and land-use change on food security and adaptation: Evidence from the delta community in Bangladesh

Abstract

Climate-related disasters severely threaten the livelihoods and food security of millions of Bangladesh is living in deltaic areas. The study looked at shifting patterns of land use, the state of food security, and adaption mechanisms in pre-and post-disaster contexts to anticipate the future situation and its influence on livelihood. The study used Landsat 5 and 8 satellite images to evaluate land cover changes from 1990 to 2015. The study also used various interview tools to assess disaster impacts on land-use change, food security, and adaptive measures. In addition, logistic regression was used to determine land-use change factors and people's perceptions of disaster risk. Satellite image analysis in this study reveals significant positive changes in aquaculture and negative changes in fallow and agricultural land. The changes due to natural disasters considerably affect their socio-ecological system, family income, agriculture production, and out-migration in the study area. Land ownership has a substantial impact on food security. According to the study, disasters disrupt ecosystem services, agriculture production, and food security and impair people's capabilities. Human activity and land accretion are the major physical driving forces influencing land use and land cover changes. People's risk perceptions should be factored into disaster management planning at the local level; this could lead to a better understanding of the policy requirements for reducing food insecurity and poverty in deltaic Bangladesh, as well as strengthening community resilience.