CLIMATE CHANGE AND FARMING VULNERABILITY IN THE COAST OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

The research was conducted in the coastal wetland to investigate farmers’ livelihood vulnerabilities. The farmers within the study area of costal wetland were earnestly affected by various types of hazards like, river bank erosion, salinity intrusion, cyclone, tidal flood, heavy rainfall, water logging as well. Agriculture is the main source of economy, which is threatened by almost all the hazards. In the study area most of the farmers (46.36%) were having below 0.2 hectors of land and only 4.54% farmers had above 0.3 hectors. The major field crop of the study area was rice (Boro/Aman). Generically farmers were not acquainted to cultivate Aus in this area. During Aus growing season (kharif-1) the salinity intensity became higher and they had less opportunity to use the land for Aus cultivation. Majority of the farmers (72.73%) used rain water for agricultural purpose instead of river water. In adverse situations, around 37% farmers were migrating from affected areas to non affected areas and among the displaced farmer 21% were permanent and 16% were seasonal. The present study revealed that climate change induced hazards severely leading to crisis of freshwater, damage of houses, decreasing in rice and other essential crop production.

Keywords: Livelihood, Climate Change, Salinity, Agriculture, Environmental Migration, Coastal Wetland.