Abstract
Coastal settlements, livelihoods, and ecosystems are all in jeopardy due to natural and anthropogenic calamities. Adaptations to these crises occur at various spatial scales, ranging from village to city. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has been lauded for its potential to accelerate social and economic transformation through the digital revolution. However, the climate-resilient planning model adopted in Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 (BDP’2100) is based on the preconceived Dutch Delta Approach (DDA), which relies solely on the engineering model. This paper shows how this engineering model of resiliency (BDP’2100) focuses merely on selective prospects of the development: economic growth, infrastructural fix to water management, and the flattening of the landscape to facilitate mono-cultural production. This paper argues that such approaches misread the deltaic living patterns of the people in line with the ecology, causing extensive damage and wiping the dearth of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) developed through the years. Using an Action-based research approach on Kachua village, Bagerhat, it digs an alternative resilience model where LEK and 4IR can be combined by delivering mutually beneficial responses that are vital against the climatic and anthropogenic calamities. The research reveals how villagers across classes negotiated with the various social and climatic constraints to their homes and livelihoods resulting in a non-linear but resilient social-ecological system. The system gives unique ecological attributes/identities/branding to their agricultural product chain that has greater appeal in the national and international market, opening an immense potential for 4IR to chip in and provide the needful exposure.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Technical, Political, and Social Responses
KEYWORDS
Resilience, Coastal, Ecosystem, Livelihood
