Life in riverine islands in Bangladesh: Local adaptation strategies of climate vulnerable riverine island dwellers for livelihood resilience

摘要

Adaptation is a key tool to reduce the climate change vulnerability of rural people whose livelihood is dependent on agriculture. An appropriate policy and strategy cannot be effective without a proper understanding of peoples' climate change perception. This study intends to explore the local adaptation strategies of the riverine island (char) dwellers in the face of climate change hazards through a survey of 374 char dwellers living in the flood and riverbank erosion prone geographically isolated areas in Bangladesh. The study reveals almost no difference between the perception of char dwellers and the observed data on climate change. It further reports that the climate impacts make the char households a vulnerable community and minimize their livelihood resilience. A number of local adaptation strategies are adapted by char dwellers in the face of climate change effects which enhance their livelihood resilience. The study further reveals that homestead gardening, changing cropping pattern, tree plantation and migration are the most common strategies adapted by char dwellers. The study suggests that continuous development program and riverine island-based disaster management projects should be executed through an effective monitoring for enhancing char dweller's livelihood resilience.