Coastal Areas Of Bangladesh Research Articles

Environmental and Humanitarian Law Violations in Bangladesh's Coastal Areas: A Survey Analysis

This study investigates the intersection of environmental and humanitarian law violations in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, focusing on the implications of climate change-induced disasters on vulnerable communities. A quantitative survey was conducted, with 150 respondents representing coastal regions, to gather data on the prevalence of environmental degradation, climate-induced displacement, and human rights violations. Findings reveal a significant correlation between environmental hazards, such as cyclones and sea-level rise, and the displacement of coastal populations, exacerbating socio-economic vulnerabilities and human rights abuses. The study employs a quantitative methods design, analyzing survey data of legal frameworks, policy documents, and scholarly literature. The data was analyzed through Smart PLS 4 for Structural Equational Model (SEM). The purpose of this research is to elucidate the complexities surrounding legal enforcement, policy implementation, and grassroots initiatives aimed at addressing environmental and humanitarian challenges in coastal areas. By providing empirical evidence and insights into the lived experiences of affected communities, this study aims to inform evidence-based policy interventions, legal reforms, and humanitarian strategies to enhance resilience and protect the rights of coastal populations facing the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.

Multi-pressure based environmental vulnerability assessment in a coastal area of Bangladesh: A case study on Cox’s Bazar

Bangladesh ranks among the top 10 countries globally in terms of climate change impacts and faces numerous anthropogenic and natural pressures. Cox’s Bazar, its primary tourist district, is experiencing severe degradation of its physical and ecological environments due to anthropogenic disturbances and climate change. To improve its environmental quality and preserve its ecological resources effectively, it is essential to develop a spatial decision support instrument addressing multi-pressures and cumulative environmental vulnerability (EV). This study presents an expert opinion-independent, scalable, and customizable spatial methodological framework, integrating multi-sourced geospatial data with GIS-based Fuzzy Logic to assess spatial distributions of five pressure groups and their resulting EV in Cox’s Bazar. 18 criteria were chosen based on a structured literature review to evaluate the five pressure groups. Results revealed that 17 % to 27 % of the study area is exposed to high to very high hydro-meteorological, topographic, land resource, anthropogenic, and natural hazard pressures. The EV results indicated that one-third of the study area, majorly covering Kutubdia, Pekua, Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Teknaf, and Ukhia upazilas, is highly environmentally vulnerable. For enhanced environmental protection, this study improved the existing method of environmental protection zoning by introducing a novel zoning approach that integrates in-situ biodiversity data with EV data. This new zoning method delineated 24 % (555 sq. km.) as strict, 45 % (1047 sq. km.) as medium, and 31 % (725 sq. km.) as soft protection zones in the study area. The sensitivity analysis identified land resource pressure as the most influential component of EV. With a correlation coefficient of 0.91, the accuracy assessment confirms a high level of reliability in the EV results. This study provides valuable insights into environmental pressures and vulnerability in Cox’s Bazar, which are crucial for informing policies at various levels, including international and national frameworks, emphasizing terrestrial ecosystem protection, coastal vulnerability mitigation, climate change impact reduction, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable land resource management.

Unveiling drivers of conservation agriculture amidst climate challenges: A coastal Bangladeshi case study

Conservation agriculture practices play a pivotal role in augmenting agricultural productivity while concurrently fostering biodiversity, mitigating soil erosion, and enhancing plant nutrition. This study aims to delve into the determinants influencing the adoption behavior of farmers regarding conservation agriculture practices, categorizing them into medium adoption, less adoption, and non-adoption groups. Primary data were meticulously gathered from three distinct regions within the coastal areas of Bangladesh, encompassing a total of 450 respondents. Descriptive statistics were employed to delineate the socio-economic status of farmers, while multinomial logistic regression was utilized to identify factors affecting conservation agriculture adoption. This study also employed to find out the severity of different climate problem faced by the farmers. Analysis of organizational communication patterns revealed that medium adopters maintained a more substantial connection with diverse organizations compared to other groups. Descriptive statistics elucidated that both medium and less adopters of conservation agriculture had undergone more training, possessed higher farm incomes, and exhibited greater levels of education compared to non-adopters. Further exploration through factor analysis unveiled that increased training significantly influenced farmers' decisions to embrace conservation agriculture practices, concurrently enhancing their knowledge of agricultural methodologies. The study identified positive relationships between crop income, cultivable land, different channel communication exposure, climate change perception and training duration with the adoption of conservation agriculture. Finally, the results underscore the importance of organizational monitoring systems and frequent farmer engagement, alongside an augmentation in training initiatives. These measures are posited to yield more favorable outcomes in promoting conservation agriculture practices among farmers. Alongside, Conservation agriculture play a key role for achieving sustainable land use and climate action.

Comparing household heads’ perception of climate change variability with meteorological trends and understanding mitigation measures to combat the adverse effects in coastal areas of Bangladesh

Comparing household heads’ perception of climate change variability with meteorological trends and understanding mitigation measures to combat the adverse effects in coastal areas of Bangladesh

Preparation and Characterization of Biodegradable Plastic from Red Seaweed (Gracilaria sp.) from Coastal Areas in Bangladesh

AbstractBioplastics are biobased or biodegradable plastic synthesized from natural resources with similar features to conventional plastic and environmental sustainability. Seaweed species abundant in the coastal regions of Bangladesh are yet to be explored for developing biodegradable plastic to solve the plastic pollution problem. Semi‐refined kappa carrageenan was extracted from Gracilaria sp. with Pressurized Hot Water Extraction (PHWE) and blended with sorbitol and polyethylene glycol 1540 in this study, respectively. The presence of carrageenan and other functional groups was confirmed with FTIR analysis. The bioplastic films showed over 90 % biodegradability after 16 days of soil burial test and 98 % water solubility after immersion for 16 days. Maximum 20 MPa tensile strength and 44 % elongation were observed from the bioplastic films. The polyethylene glycol 1540 blended films showed better physical and mechanical properties. SEM analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of tensile strength and elongation on the surface integrity of the bioplastic films. The findings indicate that Gracilaria sp. found in the coastal regions of Bangladesh, can be a potential candidate for developing bioplastics for food packaging and many other applications.

Exploring the Determinants of Malnutrition among Under-Five Children in the Coastal Area of Bangladesh

Exploring the Determinants of Malnutrition among Under-Five Children in the Coastal Area of Bangladesh

Discarded fishing net pollution in coastal areas of Bangladesh

Discarded fishing nets, a major source of marine litter, significantly threaten the marine environment and contribute to plastic pollution due to the synthetic polymers they contain. Though Bangladesh is a maritime country with 0.5 million of fishers dependent on coastal and marine fishing, there have been no studies to date on the plastic pollution impact of fishing nets. This study demonstrates the fishing nets associated with marine litter in two coastal locations of Bangladesh, Charfesson and Cox's Bazar. Fishing net samples were collected from local net shops and semi-structured interviews were taken of the shop owners to gather information about available fishing nets. This was complemented by photo-quadrat surveys to document waste fishing net materials on the shore in both locations. Among the 17 net samples, there were 12 types of gill nets, which showed a wide range of variation in price, material types, and longevity. Through the FTIR analysis, we identified the presence of Nylon 6, Polyethylene, Polyvinyl chloride, Polypropylene and Polyethylene terephthalate in the collected fishing net samples. Photoquadrat surveys found that fishing nets are related to plastic pollution in coastal areas. This study addressed the knowledge gap regarding the diversity and chemical characteristics of fishing nets and the resulting litter in Bangladesh.

Impacts on Aquatic Life for Indiscriminate Exploitation of Baby Shrimp (P. monodon) in the Coastal Area, South-Western Region of Bangladesh

Fishing for baby shrimp (Penaeus monodon post-larvae) is a major source of income for most fishermen in the coastal regions of the southwestern part of Bangladesh during during July, 2022 to June, 2023. These post-larvae collectors lack financial security and are socially regressive. Other aquatic species are destroyed by the indiscriminate exploitation of baby shrimp for aquaculture. According to the present study, about 98-99% of other larvae are destroyed to catch nearly 1-2% of indiscriminate exploitation baby shrimp in our study area where averagely 0.35% Penaeus indicus, 0.06% Penaeus merguiensis, 0.037% Metapenaeus Monoceros, 3.58% Other shrimp, 6.59% Fin-fish larvae, 5.95% Crab larvae, and 82.42% Small organisms. Actually, the government of Bangladesh already has declared a ban period and illegal baby shrimp catching. But to maintain the poor fisherman's livelihood, they are doing that continuously. Furthermore, because wild baby shrimp are said to have a far higher survival rate than baby shrimp raised in hatcheries, farmers prefer wild baby shrimp. For thousands of Bangladeshi coastal landless and jobless poor people, wild prawn baby shrimp fishing has created employment opportunities. This study describes the impact of wild baby shrimp fishing in coastal areas of Bangladesh.

IoT-Based Rainfall Monitoring System to Detect Rainy Flood for Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

Flood disasters in Bangladesh’s coastal regions have been a major source of worry due to their damaging effects on both the natural world and people. For this natural disaster to be tracked and efficiently controlled, rainfall measurement must be precise and trustworthy. The rain gauge, which has acquired global acceptability, is the most commonly used instrument for measuring rainfall. This study presents the design and experimental evaluation of a cloud-based sensor-based rain gauge for the real determination of total rainfall and rate. An ultrasonic sensor is connected to a round water container, a round rainwater acquisition, a Bluetooth module, and a data processing unit for data collecting and processing in the proposed recommendation sensor-based rain gauge. Improved rainfall evaluation and detection methods have been created using cutting-edge sensor data processing techniques. Throughout a local rainfall event, the performance of the electronic sensor-based rain gauge is assessed and contrasted with that of a hand-made rain gauge. The experimental results show that the suggested system offers an accurate reading of rainfall quantity and rate per unit of time and area, real-time rainfall monitoring, and reliable and consistent analysis. The created method is made to maintain rainy floods in Bangladesh’s coastal regions by storing rainfall data. The system is anticipated to help the region establish an efficient rainy flood monitoring system. Overall, the suggested digital sensor-based rain gauge offers a useful and trustworthy instrument for managing and monitoring rainfall in Bangladesh’s coastal regions in real-time. GUB JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, Vol 9(1), 2022 P 52-57

SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM SITRANG: A METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ITS FORMATION, INTENSITY, AND IMPACT ON BANGLADESH

Employing a non-central difference method of lines in tandem with the 4th order Runge-Kutta technique, this study adopts a sophisticated computational approach, ensuring precision and efficiency to resolve the shallow water equations and predict water levels caused by a cyclone in the coastal area of Bangladesh. To discretize spatial derivatives, a 4-point backward finite difference method utilized while keeping time derivatives continuous. The authors transformed the shallow water equations with boundary conditions into an initial value problem and used the Runge-Kutta(4,4) method for solving this transformed initial value problem. To effectively include the land-sea boundary and bottom structure at a reasonable charge, the authors used a high-resolution approach. To create a regular and stable tidal oscillation in the area, the authors applied the tidal component to the southern boundary of the primary model. Then ran the surge model to estimate water elevations caused by the nonlinear interaction between tide and surge. Using numerical experiments, the authors simulated water heights generated by tide, pure surge, and tide surge interaction caused by the intense cyclonic storm SITRANG. The study's simulated results demonstrate a commendable alignment with the reported data.

Assessment of microplastics in coastal ecosystem of Bangladesh

Microplastics (MPs) pose one of the major environmental threats to marine organisms and ecosystems on a global scale. The present study investigated MPs in surface water, beach sediments, and fish in two coastal areas of Bangladesh namely Cox's Bazar and Kuakata. The MPs were identified and characterized using three different techniques, including the binocular microscope, the ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), and SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscopy- Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy). The number of MPs in seawater was 10.1 ± 3.10 and 8.52 ± 3.92 items/100 L and in beach sediment, 13.2 ± 3.68 and 9.48 ± 3.63 items/100 g in Cox's Bazar and Kuakata, respectively. In fish samples, the abundance of MPs was 7.82 ± 1.28 and 6.82 ± 1.87 items/individual species of Cox's Bazar and Kuakata, respectively, where the highest quantities of MP were found in Euthynnus affinisand Sillago sihama and the lowest in Terapon jarbua and Pampus chinensisin Cox's Bazar and Kuakata, respectively. The number of MPs in GITs (Gastrointestinal tracts) was 1.63 ± 0.991 and 1.25 ± 0.546 items/g GIT and in BW (Body Weight) were 0.042 ± 0.014 and 0.037 ± 0.014 items/g BW in Cox's Bazar and Kuakata, respectively. There revealed a positive correlation between MP abundance and GIT weight and body weight in fish species. MPs were predominantly fiber-shaped, white/transparent, and small size. The most common MP polymers were polyethylene and polypropylene. SEM images of MPs demonstrate surface roughness, cracks, mechanical weathering and oxidative weathering, demonstrating their ongoing environmental exposure. The EDS spectrum unearthed that the MPs contained several elements (C, N, O, Na, Al, Fe, and Si). Findings from this study might be useful in coastal plastic particle management and to mitigate the potential risks associated with them.

The silent threat of plastics along the coastal frontiers of Bangladesh: Are we concerned enough?

Globally plastic pollution is posing a significant threat to the health and integrity of coastal ecosystems. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of plastic pollution in the coastal areas of Bangladesh by examining land-based macroplastic distribution, exploring microplastic (MP) contamination in the coastal aquatic ecosystem and enhancing our understanding of the potential risks associated with MP contamination. Citizen science based monitoring approach using the android application was applied to understand the land-based plastic pollution in the coastal area of Bangladesh. From December 2022 to December 2023, a total of about 3600 photographs of plastic items from 215 citizen scientists were received from the coastal area of Bangladesh covering 580 km long coast line. Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) and Pollution Load Index (PLI) were also calculated to understand the risk of plastic pollution in sediment, water, aquatic organism, dried fish and sea salt. A total of 43 land-based plastic items reported from the coastal area of Bangladesh. Among these plastic items single use items contributed 58.2 % while disposable plastic items contributed 41.8 %. A strong spatial variability in the distribution of these plastic items was observed. PHI and PLI values suggested hazard category-I for MP contamination in sediment, sea salt, water, commercial fishery resources and dry fish. This study highlighted that coastal land area, sea salt, dried fish, water, sediment and organisms are contaminated with plastics which might have the potential threats to human health. Findings from this study will serve as reference data and also baseline for future research to combat the plastic pollution.

Does e-agriculture practice matter for poverty reduction among coastal farm households?

The study hypothesizes that e-agriculture practice may contribute to multidimensional poverty reduction in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Two-stage instrumental variable (IV) Tobit and seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) analyses are used to identify the relationship. We collected data from 351 rice producing households applying a multi-stage sampling technique. Results reveal that e-agriculture adoption significantly reduces multidimensional poverty by 32 percentage points compared to non-adoption. Besides, education, farming experience, residence in the peri-urban area, and access to agricultural extension services are identified as positive predictors of e-agriculture adoption. The SUR regressions show that e-agriculture practice can help improve the standard of living of coastal farm households. In addition, multiple cropping patterns significantly contribute to the reduction of all the deprivations of multidimensional poverty. Based on the research outcomes, the study advocates broadening access to extension services to seamlessly incorporate small and marginalized farm households in remote coastal areas. Such integration may equip coastal communities with comprehensive insights into e-agriculture, thereby empowering them to fully leverage the advantages inherent in this farming technique.

Multi-hazard could exacerbate in coastal Bangladesh in the context of climate change

Floods and landslides have cascading effects on coastal areas of Bangladesh. This study aims to develop multi-hazard maps (e.g., floods and landslides) for the coastal region, by integrating a genetic algorithm optimizer with Long Short-Term Memory deep learning algorithm (GA-LSTM-DLA), global climate model, and geospatial data. It assesses vulnerabilities to multiple hazards and projects future risks considering the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator Earth System Model 1.5 (ACCESS-ESM1-5) under three climate scenarios, i.e., Shared Socioeconomic Pathways1-2.6, 2–4.5, and 5–8.5 (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve is used to assess the performance of GA-LSTM-DLA model. According to important feature obtained by random forest (RF) algorithm, most important features for flash, riverine, tidal floods, and landslides are drainage density, rainfall, and geology, respectively. The baseline susceptibility maps for flash, riverine, tidal floods, and landslides are initially recorded as 0.11%, 7.99%, 3.46%, and 0.03%. Projections for the year 2100, under different SSPs, show significant increase, i.e., SSP1-2.6—flash 1.31%, riverine 23.74%, tidal 26.97%, landslides 2.05%; SSP2-4.5—flash 0.12%, riverine 30.97%, tidal 10.23%, landslides 0.18%; SSP5-8.5—flash 0.02%, riverine 17.42%, tidal 6.19%, landslides 0.14%. These projections highlight urgent need for mitigation and adaptation measures against hazards susceptibility, particularly under more extreme socioeconomic scenarios. Overall, the findings of this work are critical for policymakers to develop informed strategies for climate resilience, sustainable development, and disaster risk reduction in the coastal region of Bangladesh.

Assessment of coastal river water quality in Bangladesh: Implications for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Saltwater intrusion in the coastal areas of Bangladesh is a prevalent phenomenon. However, it is not conducive to activities such as irrigation, navigation, fish spawning and shelter, and industrial usage. The present study analyzed 45 water samples collected from 15 locations in coastal areas during three seasons: monsoon, pre-monsoon, and post-monsoon. The aim was to comprehend the seasonal variation in physicochemical parameters, including water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, and concentrations of Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Fe2+, HCO3-, PO43-, SO42-, and Cl-. Additionally, parameters essential for agriculture, such as soluble sodium percentage (SSP), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), magnesium absorption ratio (MAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), Kelly's ratio (KR), and permeability index (PI), were examined. Their respective values were found to be 63%, 16.83 mg/L, 34.92 mg/L, 145.44 mg/L, 1.28 mg/L, and 89.29%. The integrated water quality index was determined using entropy theory and principal component analysis (PCA). The resulting entropy water quality index (EWQI) and SAR of 49.56% and 63%, respectively, indicated that the samples are suitable for drinking but unsuitable for irrigation. These findings can assist policymakers in implementing the Bangladesh Deltaplan-2100, focusing on sustainable land management, fish cultivation, agricultural production, environmental preservation, water resource management, and environmental protection in the deltaic areas of Bangladesh. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of seasonal variations in the hydrochemistry and water quality of coastal rivers, aiding in the comprehension of salinity intrusion origins, mechanisms, and causes.

Sero-prevalence of Rickettsial Infection in the Coastal Area of Bangladesh

Sero-prevalence of Rickettsial Infection in the Coastal Area of Bangladesh

A review of naturally occurring radioactive elements in coastal regions of Bangladesh

Extensive and systematic study has been carried out globally to get a thorough understanding of the underlying dynamics of radionuclides in the environment. This study was aimed to examine the natural radioactivity level in coastal areas of Bangladesh by combining the main research carried out on environmental radioactivity, predominantly employing established nuclear methods and methodologies during the past. The concentrations of important radionuclides, including 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, 238U, and 235U, were measured in those investigations. Soil samples showed the highest concentration of 226Ra at Inani Beach, Cox's Bazar (21°8ʹ N latitude, 92°4ʹ E longitude), with a value of 61.66 Bqkg-1. On the other hand, Cox's Bazar Sea Beach has the lowest 226Ra concentration at 10.8 Bqkg-1. In contrast, Cox's Bazar had the highest 226Ra activity in the sand and silt samples (147.93 Bqkg-1), whereas Kuakata Sea Beach (21° 48ʹ N latitude and 90° 10ʹ E longitude) had the lowest (2.82 Bqkg-1). The research found that 226Th activity varied from 1085.99 Bqkg-1 to 27.4 Bqkg-1 in soil samples from Cox's Bazar Sea Beach. In Cox's Bazar, the sand and silt samples showed the highest 226Th activity at 1085.9 Bqkg-1. In contrast, Kuakata Sea Beach has the lowest radioactivity at 9.22 Bqkg-1. Soil samples showed that 40K content was highest at Inani Beach (21°13ʹ N latitude and 92°3ʹ E longitude), Cox's Bazar (1304.11 Bqkg-1) and lowest at Cox's Bazar Sea Beach (25.16 Bqkg-1). The sand and silt sample from Kuakata Sea Beach had the greatest 40K activity, measuring 852 Bqkg-1. However, the sample from Cox's Bazar Sea Beach had the lowest amount (21.9 Bqkg-1). Soil samples from Cox's Bazar Sea Beach showed 238U activity of 455.99 Bqkg-1 and 110.84 Bqkg-1, respectively. The highest 238U activity sand sample was found in Cox's Bazar, measuring 460.5 Bqkg-1. The Patenga region (22°14ʹ N latitude and 91°47ʹ E longitude) in Chattogram has the lowest radioactive level, 45.2 Bqkg-1. The study's findings have been meticulously recorded as crucial foundational knowledge for forthcoming investigations on radionuclides in this coastal area. A comprehensive evaluation of prior published analyses of naturally occurring radioactive elements in the coastal regions of Bangladesh has shown that the level of activity is completely non-hazardous. The experimental areas' soils are ideal for a variety of agricultural and other purposes. Bangladesh J. Nuclear Agric, 37(2): 135-152, 2023

BIOCHAR AS A POTENTIAL SOIL CONDITIONER IN SALINE PRONE COASTAL AREA OF BANGLADESH

In the coastal areas of Bangladesh, salinity restricts normal crop production and increases with the desiccation of the soil. Recently, biochar has received great attention as a soil amendment to mitigate the detrimental effects of salinity stress. In this respect, a field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of biochars on soil properties and growth of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) and to identify a suitable biochar amendment for salt-affected soils in coastal areas of Bangladesh. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five replications. Three types of biochar (rice straw biochar, sawdust biochar and water hyacinth biochar) were applied @ 10 t ha-1 in a silt loam soil along with the control. Results showed that biochar application to the soil enhanced plant height, leaf number, leaf area, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight and yield of okra as well as improving the soil quality e.g. field capacity (FC), CEC, OC, total N, available P, S, K, and Ca. The application of water hyacinth biochar improved almost all of the growth and yield attributes of okra along with most of the soil properties than that of others. The results suggest that water hyacinth biochar might be recommended as a suitable soil amendment for better crop growth and soil quality. Moreover, water hyacinth biochar had significantly (P<0.001) higher surface area (205.40 m2g-1); consequently, higher capacity in salt and water adsorption which might prevent soil desiccation. Side by side, it significantly (P<0.001) increased the soil Ca content which might replace Na+ in the root rhizosphere minimizing the Na+ uptake by plants. Taken together, water hyacinth biochar could also be the best choice of organic amendments to reduce the suppressing effect of salinity stress in coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Germination Capacity of Different Wheat Genotypes Under Salt Stress

Salinity stress can negatively impact the growth and productivity of young wheat seedlings, leading to diminished grain yield and quality. Poor salinity management can cause soil sodicity in farming soils, where sodium (Na) binds to negatively charged clay, causing clay swelling and dispersal, subsequently decreasing the crop yield. Thus, the use of salinity tolerant varieties can be a plausible solution. This article investigates the effects of salinity stress on the germination and early seedling growth of 15 wheat genotypes in Bangladesh. The seeds were exposed to four levels of salinity (0, 6, 9, and 12 dS/m) and various germination parameters were measured, such as water imbibition, germination rate, seedling tissue water content, and seedling vigour index. The results showed significant differences among the genotypes and the salinity levels for all the parameters. BARI Gom 25 was found to be the most tolerant genotype, followed by BARI Gom 24, BARI Gom 29, and Binagom-1. The article also discussed the implications of these findings for saline soil remediation and wheat production in coastal areas of Bangladesh

Decolonizing Climate Change Adaptations from Indigenous Perspectives: Learning Reflections from Munda Indigenous Communities, Coastal Areas in Bangladesh

This study explores the imperative need for decolonizing climate change adaptation strategies by focusing on Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. Focusing on the Munda Indigenous communities residing in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, the research offers critical insights into the intricate relationship between Indigenous wisdom and sustainable climate adaptation. By engaging with the Munda Indigenous people and their traditions, this study explores how traditional ecological knowledge and practices can inform and enhance contemporary climate adaptation efforts. Following the decolonial theoretical research framework, this research used participatory research methods and collaboration with the Munda Indigenous community. In this study, we shared our learning reflections to uncover unique approaches to climate resilience, including traditional community-based disaster risk reduction and cultural practices that foster social cohesion. These insights challenge the prevailing Western-centric climate adaptation paradigms, emphasizing recognizing and valuing Indigenous voices in climate discourse. The research underscores the significance of empowering Indigenous communities as key stakeholders in climate adaptation policy and decision-making. It calls for shifting from top-down, colonial approaches towards more inclusive, culturally sensitive strategies. The Munda Indigenous communities’ experiences offer valuable lessons that can inform broader efforts to address climate change, fostering resilience and harmonious coexistence between people and their environment. This study advocates for integrating Indigenous knowledge, practices, and worldviews into climate adaptation frameworks to create more effective, equitable, and sustainable solutions for the challenges posed by climate change.