Surviving at the Margin How Climate Change and Maladaptation Affect Livelihoods in the Sundarbans in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change due to a combination of geographical and socio-economic factors. One of the most vulnerable areas in the country is the southwestern coastal region adjacent to the Sundarbans mangrove forest. Here, most of the population depends on agriculture and fishing for their livelihoods with few other livelihood options as well as low adaptive capacity because of a lack of financial and human capital. The area has been suffering from increased salinisation due to a combination of the impact of cyclones, maladaptation and the promotion of shrimp aquaculture. The increased salinisation from maladaptation is partly a result of construction of embankments to protect against flooding and has led to a reduction in agricultural crop production and the loss of income for much of the local population. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the livelihoods of the local population has been impacted by the combination of climate change and maladaptation. Household surveys were carried out in two communities bordering the Sundarbans which found that the consequences included reducing livelihood options, low household income and high indebtedness, frequent experience of hunger, poor human health and widespread migration. It was found that most households had a high degree of reliance on the Sundarbans which creates increased pressures on the fragile ecosystem. It shows the need for future adaptation policies to integrate local knowledge in adaptation planning and natural resource management.