The socioeconomic impact of climate change: assessing the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the coastal people in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is at a high risk of various forms of climatic changes including both extreme events and slow onset processes like salinity. The current study aims to measure the socioeconomic impacts of salinity on coastal people’s livelihood of the southwest coastal zone of the country. Both qualitative and quantitative tools have been used to get the wholeness of data and information. A total of 318 households were selected purposively from two villages, Keyabunia of Chilla union of Mongla and Katabunia of Pankhali union of Dacope. To supplement the quantitative data and information, the study also conducted 8 FGDs, 18 case studies and 3 in-depth interviews. It was found that both of the study areas were adversely affected by the very high prevalence of salinity. The study, thereby, specifically focused on the vulnerability and adaptation capacity of these coastal people with intense salinity problem in their localities. The result of Logit model showed that salinity kept significant negative impact on the food security status of the respondents due to the experience of crop failure that happened year after year. Consequently almost all the respondents had to face acute food crisis and under compulsion, changed their normal and usual food consumption behavior. The practice of ‘having major meals twice in a day’ instead of three times is customary over the study areas. It was found that the average calorie intake by a coastal man or a woman is only 1414 kilocalorie which is much less than the average bodily requirement. Smaller meals, skipping meals, avoiding rich diet, reducing expenditure on non-food items, drawing down social network, bartering for food are few other strategies which also respondents habitually follow to cope up with food insecurity. Salinity also kept significant negative impact on respondents’ income and livelihood. In 1990s, most of the respondents would earn US$ 83 monthly by selling paddy which has been decreased up to US$ 39 in 2014. Consequently, 97 per cent respondents of Keyabunia and 85 per cent respondents of Katabunia diversified themselves in a number of alternative livelihood options. During the lean period of the year, respondents of both study areas highly depend on mangrove forest and forest products. About 90 per cent male respondents of Keyabunia go to deep sea for catching fishes and crabs. Many of them also collect golpata, honey, wax etc. On the other hand, around 66 per cent respondents of Katabunia turned into seasonal day laborer. About 38 per cent respondents of this village also raise various types of livestock. Many men of these study areas have already started migrating in other places in search of livelihood as more than 50 per cent respondents of both study areas mentioned it. In addition to the threat to traditional livelihood option, respondents especially women were highly suffering from acute crisis of pure drinking water. Saline water was responsible for various types of health problems. About 54 per cent female respondents of Keyabunia and 72 per cent female respondents of Katabunia were suffering from various forms of gynecological problems due to using saline water. A number of ponds has been re-excavated by GO and NGOs over time in different places of the unions to reduce the threat to pure drinking water. Women used to collect water of those ponds or tube wells from distant places which would even take more than 2-3 hours per day. Sometimes they would become the victim of various forms of violence including eve teasing, rape etc. Rain water harvesting was one of the major adaptation strategies that they used to follow to cope. Almost 100 per cent respondents of Katabunia village received training from NGOs on rain water harvesting. Women were also in the face of great challenges due to lack of energy resources. As both agricultural production and homestead plantation were severely affected by salinity, almost 90 per cent respondents of Keyabunia village and 85 per cent respondents of Katabunia were fully dependent on golpata. About 68 per cent respondents of Keyabunia need to buy this golpata from local market. On the other hand women in Katabunia used agricultural residues as a source of fuel resources as 74 per cent respondents stated. They could also use cow dung as most of the people of this village used to raise different types of livestock. It was evident in qualitative data that respondents received various forms of supports from different nongovernment organizations. Respondents of both study areas mostly received livestock like cows, goats etc. as grants. The estimated result of logit model showed that grants had significant positive impact on respondents’ food security status. Thereby, it can be assumed that grants can increase the probability of household’s food security. In order to adapt with the negative impact of salinity on agriculture, about 62 per cent respondents of Katabunia brought significant changes in the production season, seed varieties and land use pattern. They started growing BIRRI dhan 47 and BIRRI dhan 55 which are relatively saline tolerant. Some of the female respondents of Keyabunia made artificial seed bed in drums or any other reservoir where they used to plant different kinds of fruit plants. Few of them were also found cultivating fish fry in a reservoir in order to grow them comparatively bigger for getting better price. Despite having better adaptation capability women had poor capacity to adapt due to having less access to resources. The study establishes the fact that women’s adaptation capacity depend on their access to various forms of resources like income, savings, land, training, freedom, networking etc. which women are usually deprived of due to traditional patriarchy. This social construction of disaster needs to be addressed immediately. Thereby, the conceptual framework of the study suggested that if peoples’ access to various forms of economic, social, political as well as cultural resources can be ensured, that would contribute to develop a sustainable adaptation capacity for the coastal people. In addition to that, promotion of aquaculture and commercial plantation, implementation of short term seasonal seeds and crop insurance, channelizing rain water in different lands by pumping out saline water, building sluice grates for regulating saline water and most importantly capacity building of community people are needed to be ensured. The study thereby recommends that in order to ensure the above mentioned measures both GO and NGOs should view ‘salinity’ within the broader social context and ‘its impact’ through the lens of a woman.