Indigenous Adaptation Practices for the Development of Climate Resilient Ecosystems in the Hail Haor, Bangladesh

Abstract

Human communities inhabiting remote and geomorphically fragile flood plain areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change-related hazards and hydrometeorological extremes. This study presents the community livelihood structure, perception of climate change, and indigenous coping strategies adopted by the local communities in the flood plain areas especially at the Hail haor. Field observations reveal that there have been several recent phenomena that are identified and reported on the manifestations of climate change by the respondent community members. These phenomena includes the following: loss of income (90 %), reduced fish availability (80 %), reduced fish diversity (70 %), reduced migratory bird’s availability (70 %), decreased crop production (70 %), food crisis (70 %), reduced aquatic plants availability (60 %), sudden flood (60 %), increased storm (60 %), decreased water-retaining capacity of beels and haor (60 %), increased drought (50 %), temperature rise (50 %), drying of water supply canal (50 %), scattered rainfall patterns (40 %), increased fish diseases during winter season (40 %), increased human viral diseases (20 %), and introduction of unknown paddy diseases (red coloration of plant, 20 %). The indigenous adaptation and coping strategies were identified. The correlations between coping strategies and physical, human, financial, natural, and social assets were significant. From the present field observation, it is evident that livestock rearing, homestead vegetable gardening, increased fishing time, and change in livelihood options found as most effective options to cope with the adverse effect of climate change. By identifying localized climate change disasters with intensity of impacts and analyzing indigenous coping mechanisms, this study attempts to address the community-based adaptation practices in climate change challenges.