An Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Livelihood Patterns: A Case Study at Bakergonj Upazila, Barisal

Abstract

Climate change is contemporary global threat to the whole world especially in the coastal area like Bangladesh. This study intends to assess the impacts of climate change in livelihoods at Bakergonj Upazila under Barisal district. Questioner survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Key Informant Interview (KII) were used for information collection, cross validation and verifications with secondary sources of information. The study reveals that livelihoods (Farmer, Fisherman, day labor, rickshaw puller, employee, etc.) were seriously affected by natural hazardous events like flood, cyclone, storm surge, densely fog, heavy rainfall and etc. and climate change increase the intensity and frequency of hazards which impacts on people and their livelihoods and beyond what they cannot cope with this harmful situation by their limited capacities. Income level of community people had decreased, so people were separating from their traditional occupation, and they were seeking alternative profession. This study used Leopold matrix to clearly identify climate change impact on livelihoods which is affected by various hazards and it’s seen in matrix that average impact value was 2.57483 above 5, but individually farmer, day labor were mostly affected by hazard events. Among all hazards flood, cyclone, storm surge attack more frequently and creates disastrous situation. So, it thus calls for intervention by Government and NGOs to rescue the vulnerable community from climate change impacts.