Eleventh International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

Developing countries dependent on natural environment for their agriculture and fisheries are highly vulnerable to the climate variability. Bangladesh is already facing the severe impacts of climate change because of its low-lying coastal areas, high population density, high economic dependency on agriculture which is largely dependent on natural environment. Lives and livelihoods are highly menaced by frequent extreme weather events, i.e. storms etc., sea level rising, saltwater intrusion resulting in unproductiveness of agricultural land. Poor women have inferior social positions, limited access to education, income, public voice and survival mechanisms because of their social and cultural structures. This study was conducted using qualitative research methods and the results show that poor women are especially vulnerable to the impacts of environmental hazards since before, during and after any climate disaster they have to take work load of households like manage domestic animals and other valuable household materials, maintain children and other family members etc. So, climate change creates extra vulnerabilities to this group of societies.