Fourteenth International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

Over the last few decades, climate change induced hazards have brought unprecedented sufferings to the lives and livelihoods of the mangrove forest resource-dependent coastal people in Bangladesh. Moreover, the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has aggravated the way of living of coastal people, making them more susceptible in terms of health, food security, livelihoods, income generating activities, and traditional resource uses in their community. This study was an attempt to find out the potential combined impacts and vulnerability of Covid-19 and climate induced hazards on coastal people in mangrove forest adjacent area. It also explored the response and resilience systems of coastal people in the post-hazards and pandemic situation. A total of 35 in-depth interviews and 5 focus group discussions were adopted to get the authentic and verified data from the study area. The findings of the study reveal that forest-dependent coastal people get limited access to natural resources and economic activities due to prolonged lockdown, together with facing health-related hazards in their community. Due to climate-induced hazards, soil salinity has increased that affects the crop production, food security, livestock rearing, fish cultivation and other income generating activities, along with disrupting their housing structure and other properties. However, the local people can respond to these hazards by applying their local strategies and develop resilience to their community. This study is the first attempt with a view to uplifting the living condition of coastal people that may provide policymakers a comprehensive scenario to formulate effective policy in the near future.