Sketching Livelihoods and Coping Strategies of Climate Vulnerable Fishers

This research identifies how climate change-induced events affect the livelihoods of haor fishers and what coping strategies are adopted by the fishing community to tackle the ongoing climate change. A number of qualitative tools, such as interviews, focus group discussions, and oral history, were employed to collect empirical data. The vulnerabilities related to climate change included fluctuations in temperature and rainfall, frequent occurrences of natural calamities, and outbreaks of damning diseases. Fishers were found to survive initially on income from illegal fishing while enjoying relief from the government by taking an immediate loan from NGOs for any calamity. In the case of long-term strategies, improvement of physical capital, harvesting rainwater, and tree plantation around houses are common strategies. A number of suggestions were elicited from fishers’ perceptions to confront the vulnerabilities of environmental changes effectively.

Climate Change Impacts and Ongoing Adaptation Measures in the Bangladesh Sundarbans

The climate of Bangladesh has changed drastically which may put considerable adverse impacts on mangrove fishers; however, very few studies focused on this professional group. An attempt was made to perceive the impact and adaptation measures of the Sundarbans mangrove resource users, employing interviews and focus group discussions. A total of 150 respondents were randomly selected from the Sundarbans west under Shyamnagar Upazila of Satkhira District. It was revealed that the abundance of fishes, fuel woods, honey, golpata (Nypa fruticans), and shrimp postlarvae (PL) witnessed considerable reduction. The resource users have adapted themselves by changing their occupation, becoming jobless and depending on the other family members. PL collection, honey collection, shrimp culture, and wood collection were found professional adapting strategies to adopt cyclone, flood, salinity intrusion, river erosion and drought. Several recommendations are elicited, the implementation of which is important to ensure livelihood sustainability of the mangrove communities.

Coping with climate change impacts: The case of coastal fishing communities in upper Meghna hilsa sanctuary of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is considered as one of the most vulnerable countries to the anticipated impacts of climate change but very few studies focused on the coastal fishing people, though they are one of the most vulnerable professional groups to climate change impacts. Based on a fieldwork in four fishing communities living adjacent to upper Meghna hilsa sanctuary, this study identifies how climate change induced events affect the livelihoods strategies of hilsa fishers and how their coping strategies hamper hilsa conservation by increasing fishing pressure. To collect empirical data, a household survey was conducted and a number of qualitative tools such as interviews, focus group discussions and oral history were employed. The cruxes that respondents identified as related to climate change include fluctuation of temperature and rainfall, cyclones, tidal surges and outbreak of damning diseases. Immediate aftermath of the any disaster, fishers are found to survive primarily from income though illegal fishing as well as relief from government, taking loan from NGOs and mohajon (money lender). In case of long term responses, improvement of physical capital, harvest rain water and tree plantation around houses are common strategies found among fishers. For further resilience fishers want better education for their children so that they can leave risky professions and places. A number of suggestions are elicited from fishers’ perception for effective tackling of climate change that include plant vegetable trees and seeds on raised bed, raft and plastic bottles around their water logged unused land to meet their daily consumption.