Climate Impacts and Adaptation Strategies of the Bangladeshi Coastal Communities

Abstract

Bangladesh is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate variability, fluctuation and extreme climatic events. Bangladeshi coastal communities are continuously adopting self-instinct survival strategies in order to cope with changing climatic conditions. This paper discusses the impact of climate change on livelihoods and documents current and future adaptation strategies of the Bangladeshi coastal communities from documentary sources. Later, it undertook validation processes of these finding by field visits, observations and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). The findings suggest that climate change effects on local community may include, but not limited to, livelihood, migration and health in Bangladesh. To offset the effects of extreme climatic events, vulnerable communities are often forced to migrate within the country. The findings of the research indicate that those who migrated to another area were able to secure new places to reside but in locations that made them susceptible to other forms of disaster.