What climate change means to the wetlands Studying livelihood vulnerabilities in a climate-critical wetland region of Bangladesh and understand the sustainable solutions Muhammad Muktadirul Islam Khan, Department of Geology, Environment and Sustainability, Hofstra University, New York-USA
Context-Study area
Context-Bangladesh
• Produce one-fifth of the total rice (staple food) (Suvra, 2021)
Bangladesh is in The New York Times in its 50th anniversary
• Experiencing frequent natural shocks i.e. flood, erosion, (Haque et al., 2021) (World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal, 2021)
• Impressive track-record for growth and development and in the global spotlight for its success in fighting poverty
Challenge: • Holding 7th position in the Long term Climate Risk Index-CRI (GERMANWATCH, 2021)
• Northeast Wetland Region (Called as Haor, A bowl shaped water-basin, Area is around 8,000 Sq. km)
Change in temperature: Increase 4°C by end of the century
• Analysis of livelihood vulnerabilities using a scientific model • In-depth understanding on the existing sustainable livelihood practices to be mainstreamed.
Use:
Study location-Land type
(Tuihedur Rahman et al., 2018)
Study hypothesis: Frequent changes in the climate factors are affecting the livelihood of the wetland communities and there are sustainable solutions to be mainstreamed both at individual and institutional level
Study features and properties • What are the specific climate vulnerabilities in the livelihood of the wetland communities? • What are the sustainable elements in the existing livelihood practices and how they can be integrated in the institutional arrangements of Government, NGOs and development partners?
HH Survey
Exposure Strategic plans of Bangladesh prioritized wetland and climate change
Citation:
•
Most understudied region
Research Questions:
Expected results:
• • • • • • •
Stress calendar: About 7 months in climate stress (Rahman et al., 2018)
• Change in the rainfall pattern (Nowreen et al., 2014)
Expected results and use
• Contribute scientific facts in the wetland development discourse • Designing of livelihood programming model by Government, NGOs and development partners
(Inundation Land Type Bangladesh, 2021)
• The country is among the fastest growing economies in the world (The World Bank-2022). Graduated to lower-middle income status in 2015 and aspiring to be in the uppermiddle income group by 2031
(Kristof, 2021)
Successes:
Overview. (2022a). World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/bangladesh/overview#1 Kristof, N. (2021b, March 13). Opinion | What Can Biden’s Plan Do for Poverty? Look to Bangladesh. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/opinion/biden-child-poverty-bangladesh.html GERMANWATCH. (2021). GLOBAL CLIMATE RISK INDEX 2021. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal. (2021). For Global Climate Data and Information! https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/bangladesh/climate-data-projections Suvra, K. I. J. (2021). Haor Regions- Importance, Problems, Strategy and Future Development. IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance (IOSR-JEF), 35–48. https://doi.org/10.9790/5933-1202013548 Haque, M. N., Siddika, S., Sresto, M. A., Saroar, M. M., & Shabab, K. R. (2021). Geo-spatial Analysis for Flash Flood Susceptibility Mapping in the North-East Haor (Wetland) Region in Bangladesh. Earth Systems and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-021-00221-w Tuihedur Rahman, H., Hickey, G. M., Ford, J. D., & Egan, M. A. (2018). Climate change research in Bangladesh: research gaps and implications for adaptation-related decision-making. Regional Environmental Change, 18(5), 1535–1553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-0171271-9 Rahman, H. T., Mia, M. E., Ford, J. D., Robinson, B. E., & Hickey, G. M. (2018). Livelihood exposure to climatic stresses in the north-eastern floodplains of Bangladesh. Land Use Policy, 79, 199–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.08.015
Adaptive capacity
Climate change
FGDs, KIIs
Sensitivity
Element of livelihoodvulnerability assessment: • • • •
Exposure Sensitivity Adaptive capacity and Policy response
(Rahman & Hickey, 2020).
Study properties: Secondary dataset
Policy response
Case studies
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Structural interview (383) Focus Group Discussion (4) Key Informant Interview (8) Case Studies (4) and review secondary datasets