Climate Change Impacts in Agricultural Communities in Rural Areas of Coastal Bangladesh: A Tale of Many Stories

Huq, Nazmul; Hugé, Jean; Boon, Emmanuel; Gain, Animesh K.

doi:10.3390/su7078437

Cited by 135 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…In doing so, we draw on empirical evidence from southwestern coastal Bangladesh-an active deltaic floodplain located on the lower reaches of the Ganges-BrahmaputraMeghna (GBM) catchment (Abdullah et al 2016;Huq et al 2015). The region is highly susceptible to tropical cyclones and tidal surges, particularly in the pre-monsoon and postmonsoon periods.…”

Section: Electronic Supplementary Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential livelihood adaptation to social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

2017

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Social-ecological changes, brought about by the rapid growth of the aquaculture industry and the increased occurrence of climatic stressors, have significantly affected the livelihoods of coastal communities in Asian mega-deltas. This paper explores the livelihood adaptation responses of households of different wealth classes, the heterogeneous adaptation opportunities, barriers and limits (OBLs) faced by these households and the dynamic ways in which these factors interact to enhance or impede adaptive capacities. A mixed methods approach was used to collect empirical evidence from two villages in coastal Bangladesh. Findings reveal that households' adaptive capacities largely depend on their wealth status, which not only determine their availability of productive resources, but also empower them to navigate social-ecological change in desirable ways. Households operate within a shared response space, which is shaped by the broader socio-economic and political landscape, as well as their previous decisions that can lock them in to particular pathways. While an adaptive response may be effective for one social group, it may cause negative externalities that can undermine the adaptation options and outcomes of another group. Adaptation OBLs interact in complex ways; the extent to which these OBLs affect different households depend on the specific livelihood activities being considered and the differential values and interests they hold. To ensure more equitable and environmentally sustainable livelihoods in future, policies and programs should aim to expand households' adaptation space by accounting for the heterogeneous needs and complex interdependencies between response processes of different groups.

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Section: Electronic Supplementary Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential livelihood adaptation to social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

2017

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“…1), an active deltaic floodplain characterized by high vulnerability to salinity intrusion and cyclones accompanied by tidal surges (Shameem et al 2014, Huq et al 2015. Salinity intrusion is largely a seasonal phenomenon; changes in upstream river flows lead to a relatively freshwater regime during the wet season and high levels of water and soil salinity during the dry season (Nuruzzaman 2006).…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience, political ecology, and well-being: an interdisciplinary approach to understanding social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

Hoque¹,

Quinn²,

Sallu³

2017

E&S

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ABSTRACT. The commodification of peasant livelihoods through export-oriented aquaculture has brought about significant socialecological changes in low-lying coastal areas in many parts of Asia. A better understanding of the underlying drivers and distributional effects of these changes requires integration of social and ecological approaches that often have different epistemological origins. Resilience thinking has gained increased traction in social-ecological systems research because it provides a dynamic analysis of the cross-scalar interactions between multiple conditions and processes. However, the system-oriented perspective inherent in resilience thinking fails to acknowledge the heterogeneous values, interests, and power of social actors and their roles in navigating social-ecological change. Incorporation of political ecology and well-being perspectives can provide an actor-oriented analysis of the trade-offs associated with change and help to determine which state is desirable for whom. However, empirical demonstrations of such interdisciplinary approaches remain scarce. Here, we explore the combined application of resilience, political ecology, and well-being in investigating the root causes of social-ecological change and identifying the winners and losers of system transformation through empirical analysis of the differential changes in farming systems in two villages in coastal Bangladesh. Using the adaptive cycle as a structuring model, we examine the evolution of the shrimp aquaculture system over the past few decades, particularly looking at the power dynamics between households of different wealth classes. We found that although asymmetric land ownership and political ties enabled the wealthier households to reach their desired farming system in one village, social resilience achieved through memory, leadership, and crisis empowered poorer households to exercise their agency in another village. Material dimensions such as improved living standards, food security, and cash incomes were evidently important; however, freedom to pursue desired livelihood activities, better environmental quality, mental peace, and cultural identities had significant implications for relational and subjective well-being.

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“…About 70% of people in developing countries living in the rural areas depend on subsistence crop production [7,8] which is recently characterized by low productivity and instability [9] as a result of marginal and erratic rainfall, low soil and ambient temperatures below the minimum temperature of 10˝C. Subsistence farmers are vulnerable to the impacts of increased temperature [10] and drought [11,12] which are among the recent pervasive stressors rural communities have to cope with [13,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Climate Change and the Potential for Adaptation in a Rural Community in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Rankoana

2016

Sustainability

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Perceptions of climate change by rural communities are centered on observations of variations in temperature and rainfall patterns supported by observations and projections on climate alterations in the form of increased temperatures and scarce rainfall by scientists worldwide. The present study documented perceptions of climate variation and the community's ability to adapt to climate change hazards threatening the production of subsistence crops. Data were collected through interactions with 100 participants. In the study, climate change is explained as variations in temperature and rainfall patterns which resulted in excessive heat, erratic rainfall patterns and drought negatively impacting on subsistence crop production. Community members have the potential to limit the impacts of climate hazards on subsistence crop production. The negative impacts of climate hazards are limited by community members' indigenous knowledge of rainfall prediction, the seasons, crop diversification and mixed cropping. Mulching and the application of kraal manure improve the soil structure and fertility to reduce crop failure. These adaptation measures are resilient to the negative impact of climate hazards and may be helpful in the development of adaptation policies to assist rural communities vulnerable to climate change hazards.

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Climate Change Impacts in Agricultural Communities in Rural Areas of Coastal Bangladesh: A Tale of Many Stories

Cited by 135 publications

References 72 publications

Differential livelihood adaptation to social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

Differential livelihood adaptation to social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

Resilience, political ecology, and well-being: an interdisciplinary approach to understanding social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

Perceptions of Climate Change and the Potential for Adaptation in a Rural Community in Limpopo Province, South Africa

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